Safe Memorial Day Weekend Seen in Maryland

Fewer Boating Accidents; No Fatalities Reported

A safety-conscious public and a concerted effort by Maryland Natural Resources Police kept the Memorial Day weekend free of fatalities and with just four reported boat accidents.

“We did everything in our power to be visible, to interact, to educate,” Natural Resources Police Superintendent Colonel Robert K. “Ken” Ziegler Jr. said. “Our officers spoke with nearly 18,000 boaters, anglers and state park visitors. Together, with our reserve officer force, they conducted more than 2,400 free boat inspections across the state.”

Boating accidents declined 55 percent this Memorial Day weekend compared to the same period last year and none of the mishaps resulted in life-threatening injuries. Two incidents involved boats capsizing on Chesapeake Bay tributaries, one was a minor tubing accident on Deep Creek Lake and the fourth occurred as a boat docked at Smallwood State Park.

Statewide, officers responded to 620 calls for service, a five percent increase over 2015. They arrested 15 people for impaired boating or impaired driving, compared to seven arrests last year. They wrote a total of 402 tickets and 1,297 warnings for all offenses, increases over last year of four percent and 17 percent respectively.

Officers worked with allied agencies, such as the U.S. Coast Guard and local police and fire marine units, to be a highly visible presence on the Chesapeake Bay, the Atlantic coastal bays, and rivers and tributaries.

Ziegler said the strategy this year is to get the boating season off to a good start that can be sustained through Labor Day. Last year, 21 people died in boating accidents, a 20-year high. Only three of the victims were wearing life jackets.

“We aren’t doing this to rack up tickets or generate revenue,” he said. “We are doing this to keep our citizens and visitors safe so that they can continue to enjoy Maryland’s lands and waters.”

The safety campaign will continue June 24-26, with Operation Dry Water, a nationwide crackdown on alcohol- and drug-impaired boaters. Natural Resources Police will once again partner with other maritime law enforcement agencies to patrol waterways from Deep Creek Lake to the Atlantic Ocean.