New mobile app hopes to keep more boaters safe

WILMINGTON, NC (WWAY) — With warmer weather upon us and the school season almost over, it’s time to gear up for the upcoming summer season.

May 16-22 is National Boating Safety Week and U.S. Coast Guard Petty Officer Operational Specialist 2nd Class Edward Sanders says a new app is hoping to keep more folks safe in the water.

Sanders says some accidents can be prevented.

“The individual who was driving, was driving with two of his other friends and all three of them were drunk, said Sanders. “He eventually crashed into a tree and unfortunately the driver was the only one that survived and his two other friends died.”

A lesson that was learned the hard way, but this is what the U.S. Coast Guard officials are hoping to decrease.

Sanders said, “If you are going to go out, let someone know you are going to go out and have a variety of communications with that person. A radio is ideal cause it can reach longer distances, but if you’re radio goes out, have a cell phone.

The Coast Guard released a new mobile application to help reduce response time.

“This works if you are further offshore, you can actually go on there, let’s say you are in an emergency, you can actually hit the emergency button”, Sanders says. “It will pop up with an actually map and your nautical locations and then it will ask if you want to call Coast Guard.”

The app also gives you real time buoy reports, rules of the roads, and a list of required safety equipment.

Sanders says he has seen a lot over the years, but there has been one incident he’ll always remember just proving how life jackets could mean life or death.

“A large vessel went down and had 14 people one board. Out of the 14 people we were able to get 11 because the other four didn’t have their life jackets, so we were unable to find them,” said Sanders.

He said to remember to pack enough life jackets for everyone on the boat, flares, HF radio, and your cell phone on your next trip out.

You can learn more about the mobile app here.