Coast Guard app offers helpful safety info for boaters

WRIGHTSVILLE BEACH, NC (WWAY) — Memorial Day weekend is what the US Coast Guard calls the “kick off to boat season,” and they want to make sure you know how to stay safe on the water.

The Coast Guard’s Wrightsville Beach Station Officer in Charge Lane Marshburn said the three most important things to do while you’re on the water are wear a life vest, boat with a buddy and do not drink and drive.

He also said there’s an app called United States Coast Guard for smart phones that allows you to keep in contact with the Coast Guard and establish a float plan.

“It will have a phone number. It’ll have contact information. There’s actually even an emergency button, like a 911 button,” Marshburn said. “There’s requirements, so if you have a boat, say 25 feet, you just plug it in there, and it tells you all the safety gear that you need.”

Marshburn said that it may look fun to sit on the edge of your boat, but that is not encouraged by the Coast Guard.