NC Wildlife Commission amplify safety reminders in wake of Falls Lake tragedy
North Carolina Wildlife is offering safety reminders today in the wake of the deadly boating crash on Falls Lake this past weekend.
The body of 21-year old Raiquan Massenburg was recovered yesterday following a more-than 30-hour search. Massenburg was killed when the boat he was on with a friend collided with another boat on Falls Lake in stormy weather. Massenburg's friend remains in the hospital.
Nathan Green, an assistant training director and lieutenant with NC Wildlife, says staying safe can sometimes be as simple as using the tools at your disposal.
"It can be something just as simple as calling a friend or family member and saying, hey, I'm going to go to this body of water with a certain amount of people," Green said.
Green says he understands many boaters may not want to take steps like wearing a life vest, especially in hot summer temperatures, but he's reminding the public that's the number one safety measure someone on the water can take. Investigators say neither Massenburg nor his friend was wearing life vests at the time of the collision.
"Maybe it's bulky, a little bit too hot and it's in these hot temperature days. But there is another option. There's an inflatable BFD personal flotation device. You can get them at any of the major retail stores that actually all you have to do is pull a lever on that jacket and it'll self-inflate," Green said.
RELATED | Law enforcement push boating safety as lakes get more crowded
Green also said the agency offers free courses that serve as a form of "boaters ed", and are actually required by all people born after January 1, 1988, who are operating a boat with a 10-plus horsepower engine.
"We strongly encourage everybody, even if you're not required by law, to go ahead and obtain that boater safety certification," he said.
He said while tragedies like the one on Falls Lake serve as cautionary tales, he hopes more people realize that it's too late for training once you're on the water.
"Once you get on the water, you don't have that. It's an open, open body of water. But there's still rules of the road," said Green.
