The U.S. Coast Guard this week said deaths linked to recreational boating in 2024 were the fewest since it started collecting such statistics more than 50 years ago.
Boating fatalities fell 1.4% to 556 from 564 in 2023, Coast Guard officials said.
While the number of deaths decreased in 2024, nonfatal injuries rose 2.1%, from 2,126 in 2023 to 2,170 last year.
Alcohol consumption while boating continues to be the leading known contributing factor to fatal accidents. It accounted for 92 deaths, or 20% of total fatalities in 2024, the officials said.
“Boating under the influence is not only illegal, but it is also dangerous,” said Capt. Robert Compher, the Coast Guard’s director of inspections and compliance. “The effects of alcohol can be magnified when boating in the sun and on a moving vessel. Staying sober protects you and those around you.”
Most of the deaths occurred on boats operated by people who hadn’t received boating safety instructions. They accounted for roughly 70% of fatalities. Open motorboats, personal watercraft and cabin cruisers were the kind of vessels most involved in reported incidents, the officials said.
The boat-related fatality rate was 4.8 deaths per 100,000 registered recreational vessels, a 2% decrease from the previous year’s rate of 4.9 deaths per 100,000. The fatality rate was 20.6 deaths per 100,000 in 1971, when the Boat Safety Act became law, the officials said.
Property damage from boating accidents in 2024 totaled $88 million. The primary contributing factors in accidents last year were operator inattention, improper lookout, operator inexperience, machinery failure and navigation problems, the officials said.
There was an increase in deaths on standup paddleboards, with drowning accounting for three-quarters of them. More than 85% of the victims weren’t wearing life jackets at the time, the officials said.
