Miami-Dade officials urge boating safety ahead of busy Fourth of July holiday weekend
Miami-Dade officials are urging people to stay safe out on the water as residents across South Florida get set to celebrate America over the Fourth of July holiday weekend.
On Thursday morning, Miami-Dade County Mayor Daniella Levine Cava was joined by victims of boating accidents, including the father of Lucy Fernandez, who was killed in a boating accident in Biscayne Bay in 2022, at a news conference urging the community to stay safe.
"I come to this discussion wearing two hats," Andy Fernandez said. "I have the hat of the grieving father who lost his 17 year old daughter to a tragic and senseless boating accident, but I come to this discussion also as an avid and lifelong boater."
He stressed that the work to keep others safe on the water is far from done.
"I think we are the living example that tragedy can strike at a moment's notice, when you least expect it, and we need to do a better job to prevent it," Fernandez said. "Personally, I think it all starts with education. That I think that the vast majority of the operators out there do not have enough education or any education at all."
Miami-Dade officials said that the event is part of Cava's ongoing effort to promote boater safety, raise awareness and protect everyone who enjoys Miami-Dade County's waterways.
Those efforts also include the creation of a Boater Safety Task Force in April 2025, which brought together community leaders, law enforcement and marine safety advocates for over a year to examine the full landscape of boating safety.
The task force earlier this year held its final meeting and voted on impactful, actionable recommendations aimed at strengthening education, enforcement, legislation and waterway management, according to county officials.
And at the news conference, Miami-Dade Fire Rescue Chief Ray Jadallah said everyone on board a boat is expected to have a life-jacket.
"Always have a working fire extinguisher, small fire extinguisher, you could buy from any department store, you know," he said. "In the event that you do have a small fire on the boat, usually with your engines, everyone on board should know how to utilize channel 16, VHF channel 16, in the event, in the event that there's an emergency."
And the heat can be just as dangerous.
"We've been under some record heat waves here in the last several weeks, you know, and where you're expecting throughout the weekend," Jadallah continued. "So, again, please monitor the amount of time that you're out in the sun. Drink water as often, wear sunscreen, and of course, you know, seek shade when you can"