Part 1

    Philip Longo should not have died. Not at 18. Not 2,400 miles from his home in Yardley, Pa.

    Longo, a freshman at Arizona State University, was returning to classes following a week-long Spring break at home. He was an honors student in high school, a starter for his school's baseball team, an avid golfer, and in his freshman year in college as a business and accounting major who hoped to become an FBI agent or U.S. marshal. He and eight friends early one Saturday afternoon before classes were to resume rented a 20-foot aluminum pontoon boat from a marina at Lake Havasu City, Ariz. The clerk didn't ask if they had a boating operator license. Only 13 states---Arizona and Pennsylvania are not among them--have mandatory operator licensing. He didn't ask them if they had completed any boating safety courses. He didn't have to; most states don't require even that. What he did do was to make sure they paid the $200 rental for eight hours, then had them sign waivers--"Sign Your Life Away Forms," he jokingly told them. He took the students to the boat, showed how to switch fuel tanks, and pointed out the personal flotation devices--PFDs, life jackets in common language. "You know how to use them, right?" he asked. Federal law requires there be at least one PFD for every person onboard. Arizona, like most other states, doesn't require that anyone wears a PFD or even know how to use one. The PFDs would remain beneath the seats.

    "He said everything so fast, we didn't have time to ask any questions," says one of the students. Besides, it was a beautiful day, and there were places to see. With less than a couple of minutes of orientation, they went out to Copper Canyon, a secluded cove on the California side of the lake, about a half-hour running time from the marina. That evening, they returned, and docked at the Nautical Inn; some ate dinner, others just wandered around. A little after 7 p.m., they again boarded the boat, this time to return it to the marina. About 7:30, shortly after passing the no-wake buoys, Longo stood up at the bow--no one knows why, perhaps to get a better view--lost his balance, and fell overboard. The operator, who readily admits he had minimal experience running a boat and no boating safety courses, throttled back, turned off the key, and with two others jumped overboard. But in the 45-degree murky water, with about one-foot of visibility, they couldn't find their friend. They marked the spot with their PFDs. Shortly before 8 p.m., they returned to shore and called 911--the boat, like most rentals, didn't have a marine radio.

    Beneath a moonless sky in almost pitch-black waters, rescuers from the Arizona State Parks Service, Lake Havasu City Police, and the Mohave County Sheriff's Office launched a massive search, aided by a helicopter crew from the Department of Public Safety. The next day, divers from the sheriff's office and the Bullhead City Fire Department began their search of the lake, some of them cramping up from the cold water. On Monday, the San Bernardino County (Calif.) Sheriff's Department sent an underwater camera. But still they couldn't find Longo. The rescuers had long ago realized they wouldn't be trying to save a life, but retrieving a body.

    Eighteen days after Longo fell overboard, a water skier saw the body which had finally surfaced, floating not far from where he died, but far from the PFDs that had drifted from where the students had tried to mark the area. The medical examiner reported severe propeller cuts on Longo's arm and head.

    "He loved the area," says one of his friends. "It shouldn't have happened."

Part 2

    They buried Philip Longo on cool April afternoon in Newton Cemetery, not far from his home in Yardley, Pa. It was a death that should never have happened.

    Longo was 18 years old when he fell from the bow of a pontoon boat on Lake Havasu, Ariz. The Mohave County Medical Examiner says Longo died from trauma to the arms and head, caused by the boat's propeller.

    Like the others on board, he wasn't wearing a PFD--a personal flotation device, a "life jacket." More than three-fourths of all boating fatalities involve victims who weren't wearing PFDs, according to the Coast Guard. In Pennsylvania last year, 16 the 18 victims of fatal boating accidents weren't wearing PFDs. Some boaters think the 16-ounce vests are too bulky; others don't believe they need the protection; a few think the vests ruin their tan lines. Many boaters think they'll be able to grab a PFD if there is trouble--a belief not unlike motorists believing they can put on seat belts moments before a collision. Members of the Coast Guard--themselves expert swimmers--always wear PFDs while on board; apparently, they know something the rest of us should learn.

    Although wearing a PFD may have given Longo just the slightest buoyancy, and a modicum of protection, it may not have saved his life. The failure to wear PFDs is one of the two leading causes that contribute to boater deaths. The other is alcohol consumption. More than 800 Americans die in boating accidents every year, with more than half of those fatalities alcohol-related, according to the Coast Guard. Having a "designated boater," like the "designated motorist," is not a logical response to drinking since all passengers are at risk on water. More than half of all deaths and injuries are from passengers who fall overboard, according to Coast Guard statistics.

    Alcohol consumption impairs balance, and results in diminished motor skills, response time, and reduced depth perception, night vision, and the ability to distinguish colors, especially red and green, important colors in boat navigation. Among boaters, increased alcohol levels can also accelerate the onset of hypothermia and cause inner ear disturbances which cause confusion among boaters thrust into the water, causing them to be unable to distinguish up from down, says Petty Officer Bruce Albright, of the Coast Guard's Philadelphia group. The Mohave County Sheriff's Department cited six of the eight survivors for underage possession of beer, but none appeared to be drunk, at least by standards set for motorists. The 19-year-old boat operator admits he had been drinking, but says he was in control of the boat at the time of the accident. The sheriff's office is investigating. Longo had also been drinking, says one of the survivors, but not enough to be legally drunk. But, on water, even one drink magnifies alcohol's effects.

    Most states consider a reading of 0.10 percent of body weight blood alcohol concentration (BAC) sufficient cause to determine that motorists are drunk and should not have been driving. On water, because of the effects of a combination of sun, wind, boat vibration, engine noise, and water motion, a reading as little as 0.035, about one or two drinks for the average person, may indicate that a boater has the same level of intoxication as a motorist on land. The legal limit for commercial boat skippers in 0.040.

    A report in the Journal of the American Medical Association states that alcohol will occasionally cause heart failure in a body suddenly exposed to a radical temperature change, such as falling into water; can inhibit critical blood-gas exchanges; and retard the natural gagging effect to clear the throat of water.

    Because boaters spend far less time on water than do motorists on land, boater judgment, even when the boater isn't drinking, is likely to be less critical than motorists, says Albright.

    About 30 to 40 percent of all boaters, says the Coast Guard, have beer or alcohol on board. However, only about 10 percent of alcohol-related incidents, such as a boater cutting in front of another boat and causing the other operator to lose control, or a boat's wake causing a skier to fall, are reported.

    Pennsylvania law enforcement officers cited only 44 boaters for boating under the influence of alcohol last year, not because so few were intoxicated but because, says Dan Tredinnick of the Fish and Boating Commission, "It's very difficult to detect, and even harder to prosecute." Part of the problem is that the law requires "probable cause." State Police can observe motorists going too slow, too fast, or weaving between lines. On water, there must be a massive problem.

    The Coast Guard, says Albright, doesn't have a significant problem detecting and citing intoxicated boaters. Coast Guard boarding officers, says Albright, have "extensive in-depth study" of the effects of alcohol and how to spot drunken boaters. The number 1 sign, he says, is boaters "maneuvering at a high speed erratically." Federal law stipulates a $1,000 maximum fine for boat operators cited for boating while under the influence. State penalties may also be imposed. In Pennsylvania, conviction may result in a $5,000 fine and/or 90 days in jail, and suspension of the driving license.

    But, no matter what fines are imposed, one fact is clear--most deaths could be avoided if boaters wore PFDs and didn't drink, something Philip Longo didn't know.

Part 3

    The U. S. Coast Guard last year conducted more than 55,000 search and rescue operations (SAR), assisted more than 85,000 persons, saved about $3.5 billion property, and more than 5,000 lives. But, had more boaters completed boating safety courses, the severely-underfunded military service could probably have cut its SAR operations by half.

    About 80 percent of all boating accidents "are directly attributable to boaters who lack the adequate safety skills and knowledge," according to Coast Guard statistics.

    "People are unfamiliar with the equipment on board," says Chief Petty Officer Curtis Cox, of the Coast Guard's Philadelphia group. "They get it because the law requires it, but don't know how to use it." This includes fire extinguishers and PFDs, personal flotation devices, or "life jackets." More than three-fourths of all persons who die in boating accidents weren't wearing PFDs. Even more significant, most boaters don't even know how to file a "float plan," says Coast Guard Petty Officer Bruce Albright. A float plan, like a pilot's flight plan, would significantly assist rescue groups to quickly find boaters who may be injured.

    There were 122 recorded boating accidents last year in Pennsylvania, with 94 persons needing medical treatment. However, this is only a fraction of the total, says Dan Tredinnick of the Pennsylvania Fish and Boating Commission. Most accidents and injuries aren't reported. Deaths are. Although 15 of the 18 who died from boating accidents in Pennsylvania last year could swim, only one had completed a safe boating course.

    The Coast Guard Auxiliary offers several thousand boater safety classes and conducts more than 150,000 courtesy motorboat safety examinations every year. There are no charges for either. About 10,000 Pennsylvanians a year complete safe boating courses offered by the Coast Guard Auxiliary, U. S. Power Squadron, Red Cross, or the Fish and Boat Commission. The courses include everything from preparing a boat to get underway to how to navigate and understand the rules of the road. But most boaters don't take the courses, nor ask for the boat inspections.

    Even if the boat operator had passed a safe boating course, is licensed, and is wearing a PFD, the passengers may be at risk. More than half of all deaths and injuries are from passengers who fall overboard, according to the Coast Guard. But, most states don't require anyone to have a license or even pass a safe boating course.

    In a strongly worded report issued in 1993, the National Transportation Safety Board strongly recommended that all states adopt laws requiring children to wear PFDs, that boat operators be required to have demonstrated knowledge of basic boating skills, and that they be licensed, not unlike what motorists must pass to be licensed.

    "We need more rigorous training," says the NTSB's Bill Gossard, "so that people know what they're doing on water." Only one state, Alabama, meets all of the NTSB's recommendations. Twelve other states meet NTSB recommendations, but have allowed "grandfathering"--only persons born after a certain date are subject to state laws. Thus, it might take two generations for the laws to affect all boaters. Licensing, says Gossard, "is being fought by 30 percent of the boaters who want no rules at all," and by the groups that are owned by the boating industry.

    "The only test we have," says Dan Tredinnick, "is do you have enough money to buy or rent a boat?" Tredinnick says the Pennsylvania legislature is considering mandatory public education for persons who wish to operate jet-skis because "they are involved in a disproportionate rate of accidents." Mandatory lessons or licenses for boaters have never gone beyond the discussion stage. Part of the reason why most states don't require boater operator licensing may be because of vigorous opposition by boat manufacturers.

    Licensing, says Greg Proteau, spokesman for the National Marine Manufacturers Association, is "oftentimes a bureaucratic problem [that] is often a way to raise revenue." He says the Association believes that licensing doesn't address other issues, including how overburdened law enforcement agencies can enforce the rules.

    Delaware, which requires licensing for persons born after 1977, doesn't charge boaters a fee, nor does it place an unwarranted burden upon marine police, says Dave Small of the Department of Natural Resources. The law, requiring boaters to complete safety classes, had broad-based support and was "just good common sense," says Small. In New Jersey, which requires all boaters born after 1978 to complete an eight-hour course, boating accidents decreased 59 percent the year after certification was begun.

    Pennsylvania, however, has no safety requirement except for persons under 12 to wear PFDs onboard. "We have a lot of people on the water, but a good safety record," says Tredinnick, who points out that both the state's fish and boating commission and the legislature don't believe "licensing would be a benefit."

    However, the state has a responsibility to protect its citizens. For that reason, there are already mandatory licenses for several dozen vocations and professions; there are mandatory licensing requirements to drive cars, buses, and trucks; the state has a mandatory seat belt law for motorists, a helmet law for motorcyclists. Persons who hunt and fish must also have licenses.

    Almost all public high schools have driver education classes; many require students to know how to swim. Perhaps those schools near rivers, lakes, and recreational areas should offer at least a four-hour safe boating segment.

    Had all states required boat operators to at least complete safe boating courses, and all persons on water to wear PFDs, Philip Longo, the 18-year-old Yardley, Pa., honors student who fell overboard, may still be alive. He didn't deserve to die because of one mistake, a mistake that the state could easily correct so others don't die because of the state's negligence.

Copyright 1999 Walter M. Brasch