Los Angeles County
Department of Public Health
Injury Violence and Prevention Program
3530 Wilshire Blvd. Suite 800
Los Angeles, CA 90010
Phone: (213) 351-7888
Fax: (213) 351-2713
Email: ivpp@ph.lacounty.gov
Injury & Violence Prevention Program - Boating Facts
Most boating mishaps are caused by operators of boats rather than the boat, equipment, or weather.
Approximately 79% of boating-related deaths occur on inland waters, such as rivers, streams, lakes, and ponds.
Drowning continues to be the # 1 cause of deaths in boating accidents. Approximately 80% of drowning victims were not wearing life jackets. Less than 23% of boaters in all boating groups wear life jackets. More than 60% of boating fatalities result from capsizing, falling overboard, or flooding/swamping.
Fatality rates decrease significantly when a boater has some boater education. Eighty-eight percent of fatalities occurred on boats where the operator had not taken a boater education course.
Open motorboats have the highest overall number of fatalities (approximately half).
Canoes and kayaks have high numbers of fatalities due to drowning. Personal watercraft (PWCs) have a relatively high fatality rate due to trauma.
Roughly one-third of recreational fatalities occur while boaters are engaged in fishing activities. A smaller number die while hunting from a boat.
