Coast Guard Reminds Owners Of Paddle Crafts To Label Their Boats To Prevent Unnecessary Searches
PLYMOUTH (CBS) – The Coast Guard is reminding kayakers and owners of all paddle crafts to label their kayaks and boats with a vessel identification sticker using a waterproof marker.
.@USCGNortheast crews are finding unmanned, adrift dinghies, canoes and kayaks across the Northeast! Already, more than 10 searches happened; most were found to not be in use. Please pull your paddle craft above the water line and secure it! #LabelIt #PaddleResponsibly #WearIt! pic.twitter.com/UogfirOelp
— USCGNortheast (@USCGNortheast) July 4, 2019
If boats do not have a label, the Coast Guard can't be sure if someone is in distress or if the boat got loose and floated out to sea.
With unmanned dinghies, canoes and kayaks adrift recently, the U.S. Coast Guard Northeast has instituted more than 10 searches for missing boaters only to find that most of the boats had just gotten loose and floated away.
On Saturday morning, a kayak found 2 nautical miles east of Cohasset, led the Coast Guard to scour the area for a person in distress. The Coast Guard is looking for any information about the kayak.
A second kayak was found Saturday evening approximately 1,000 yards southeast of Saquish Neck in Plymouth Harbor. The Coast Guard is still looking for the owner of that kayak, as well.
Also on Saturday, the Duxbury Harbormaster reported a dinghy and a kayak found unmanned and instituted searches for people in distress. The owner of the kayak was found safe on land.
Labels are available at any Coast Guard station or can be ordered online for free.