{"id":48107,"date":"2026-08-05T12:05:50","date_gmt":"2026-08-05T16:05:50","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/news.maryland.gov\/dnr\/?p=48107"},"modified":"2026-08-05T12:05:50","modified_gmt":"2026-08-05T16:05:50","slug":"waterway-users-urged-to-boat-smart-to-avoid-propeller-strikes-other-risks-on-the-water","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/news.maryland.gov\/dnr\/2026\/08\/05\/waterway-users-urged-to-boat-smart-to-avoid-propeller-strikes-other-risks-on-the-water\/","title":{"rendered":"Waterway Users Urged to Boat Smart to Avoid Propeller Strikes, Other Risks on the Water"},"content":{"rendered":"<div style=\"width: 410px\" class=\"wp-caption alignright\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"\" src=\"https:\/\/live.staticflickr.com\/65535\/55444542856_2030c29b9b_b.jpg\" alt=\"NRP patrol boats and fire and rescue boats respond to a vessel fire on the Potomac River in St. Mary&apos;s County on August 30, 2025. Ignition of fuel vapors is the leading cause of vessel fires in Maryland. Maryland DNR photo.\" width=\"400\" height=\"307\" \/><p class=\"wp-caption-text\">NRP patrol boats and fire and rescue boats respond to a vessel fire on the Potomac River in St. Mary&#8217;s County on August 30, 2025. Ignition of fuel vapors is the leading cause of vessel fires in Maryland. Maryland DNR photo.<\/p><\/div>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400\">To avoid serious propeller strike accidents and other preventable boating injuries, the Natural Resources Police is providing an overview of safety steps boaters and other waterway users should follow when spending time underway.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400\">\u201cOur top priority is ensuring all boaters make it home safely at the end of the day,\u201d said Col. Orlando Lilly, NRP Superintendent. \u201cWe\u2019ve seen a concerning number of boating injuries occur this season; these are accidents that can happen in an instant and can often be preventable through simple safety practices.\u201d<\/span><!--more--><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400\">In July, officers responded to calls for injuries caused by accidental propeller strikes in the South River in Anne Arundel County, the Potomac River in Charles County, and Still Pond Creek in Kent County.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400\">Injuries caused by boat propellers can be particularly dangerous, as a typical three-blade propeller running at 3,200 rpm can inflict up to 160 cuts in one second. According to the U.S. Coast Guard&#8217;s <\/span><a href=\"https:\/\/uscgboating.org\/library\/accident-statistics\/Recreational-Boating-Statistics-2024.pdf\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400\">2024 Recreational Boating Statistics Report<\/span><\/a><span style=\"font-weight: 400\">, there were 169 propeller strike incidents nationwide in 2024, resulting in 30 deaths. Injuries caused by propeller strikes in Maryland trend lower than the national average, with just three U.S. Coast Guard reported instances in the five-year period from 2020 to 2024.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400\">NRP encourages all boaters to follow these critical safety practices to reduce the risk of you or someone you know being injured by a boat propeller:<\/span><\/p>\n<div style=\"width: 360px\" class=\"wp-caption alignleft\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"\" src=\"https:\/\/live.staticflickr.com\/65535\/55443590277_d53e426838_c.jpg\" alt=\"NRP issues guidance to remain safe when boating and swimming in close proximity to boat propellers, which have caused injuries to three people in Maryland this year. Maryland DNR photo.\" width=\"350\" height=\"513\" \/><p class=\"wp-caption-text\">NRP issues guidance to remain safe when boating and swimming in close proximity to boat propellers, which have caused injuries to three people in Maryland this year. Maryland DNR photo.<\/p><\/div>\n<ul>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400\"><b>Always use your engine cutoff switch <\/b><span style=\"font-weight: 400\">(ECOS) by attaching the engine cutoff switch lanyard whenever operating a vessel. If the operator is thrown from the helm, the engine will stop, reducing the risk of runaway boats and propeller injuries.<\/span><\/li>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400\"><b>Look before you turn the key.<\/b><span style=\"font-weight: 400\"> Before starting the engine, make certain the area around the boat is completely clear of swimmers, divers, paddlecraft, and anyone in the water.<\/span><\/li>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400\"><b>Never board or exit a boat while the engine is running.<\/b><span style=\"font-weight: 400\"> A propeller can rotate even when the engine is in neutral. Always shut the engine completely off before anyone enters or leaves the water, boards the vessel, or moves to\/from a tube, wakeboard, or water skis.<\/span><\/li>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400\"><b>Exercise extra caution around the stern.<\/b><span style=\"font-weight: 400\"> Keep passengers away from the back of the boat whenever the engine is operating and account for everyone in the water before shifting into gear.<\/span><\/li>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400\"><b>Do not ride on the edge of a boat<\/b><span style=\"font-weight: 400\"> &#8211; bow riding, or sitting on the edge of a moving boat, is dangerous and against the law in Maryland \u2014 always <\/span><a href=\"https:\/\/dnr.maryland.gov\/nrp\/Pages\/BoatingSafety\/bow-riding-is-illegal.aspx\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400\">ride inside<\/span><\/a><span style=\"font-weight: 400\"> the boat.\u00a0<\/span><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400\">Another safety hazard can occur before reaching the open water. NRP continues to investigate fuel vapor-related boat explosions that happened shortly after fueling in two instances earlier this month. Four people were injured when a boat erupted into flames in Bodkin Creek in Pasadena on July 3, while another boat explosion injured nine people on the Chesapeake and Delaware Canal in Chesapeake City on July 4. In 2025, eight boating accidents were reportedly caused by ignition of fuel vapors, up from seven in 2024.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400\">Gasoline vapors are heavier than air and can accumulate in a vessel&#8217;s bilge. It takes only a single spark to ignite those vapors, potentially causing a catastrophic explosion.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400\">To reduce the risk of fire or explosion:<\/span><\/p>\n<ul>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400\"><b>Run your bilge blower for at least four minutes after fueling<\/b><span style=\"font-weight: 400\"> before starting the engine.<\/span><\/li>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400\"><b>Open the engine compartment and check for fuel vapors.<\/b><span style=\"font-weight: 400\"> Before turning the ignition key, open the engine hatch and smell for gasoline. If you detect the odor of fuel, do <\/span><b>not<\/b><span style=\"font-weight: 400\"> start the engine. Investigate the source of the leak and correct the problem before operating the vessel.<\/span><\/li>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400\"><b>Follow safe fueling procedures.<\/b><span style=\"font-weight: 400\"> Turn off engines and electrical equipment while fueling, extinguish all smoking materials, and ensure passengers remain off the vessel or away from the fueling area whenever possible.<\/span><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400\">The Maryland Natural Resources Police reminds all boaters to wear a properly fitted U.S. Coast Guard-approved life jacket, avoid operating a vessel while impaired by alcohol or drugs, monitor weather conditions, and file a float plan whenever possible.<\/span><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>To avoid serious propeller strike accidents and other preventable boating injuries, the Natural Resources Police is providing an overview of safety steps boaters and other waterway users should follow when spending time underway.\u00a0 \u201cOur top priority is ensuring all boaters make it home safely at the end of the day,\u201d said Col. Orlando Lilly, NRP<a href=\"https:\/\/news.maryland.gov\/dnr\/2026\/08\/05\/waterway-users-urged-to-boat-smart-to-avoid-propeller-strikes-other-risks-on-the-water\/\">&nbsp;&nbsp;Read the Rest&#8230;<\/a><\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":262,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_acf_changed":false,"_monsterinsights_skip_tracking":false,"_monsterinsights_sitenote_active":false,"_monsterinsights_sitenote_note":"","_monsterinsights_sitenote_category":0,"footnotes":""},"categories":[957,3171,14],"tags":[3197,3736,4975,5211,5236],"class_list":["post-48107","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","hentry","category-appnews","category-boating","category-nrp-news","tag-boating","tag-boating-safety","tag-maryland-natural-resources-police","tag-nrp","tag-police"],"acf":[],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/news.maryland.gov\/dnr\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/48107","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/news.maryland.gov\/dnr\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/news.maryland.gov\/dnr\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/news.maryland.gov\/dnr\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/262"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/news.maryland.gov\/dnr\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=48107"}],"version-history":[{"count":6,"href":"https:\/\/news.maryland.gov\/dnr\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/48107\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":48113,"href":"https:\/\/news.maryland.gov\/dnr\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/48107\/revisions\/48113"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/news.maryland.gov\/dnr\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=48107"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/news.maryland.gov\/dnr\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=48107"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/news.maryland.gov\/dnr\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=48107"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}