Governor Linwood Holton has ealled attention to'the observance of

Governor Linwood Holton has ealled attention to'the observance of June 28 through July 5 as being Safe Boating Week in Virginia to remind all of the state’s boaters that safety is essential to the continued enjoyment of our water sports. Virginia’s 1970 accident record stands at 24 including 21 fatalities and 10 injuries as we near the midyear mark. This puts accidents a little behind last year’s pace when 61 were reported for the calendar year, but fatalities and injuries are way ahead since these totaled only 31 and 11 respectively for the whole year of 1969. “More and more Virginians are discovering the benefits of boating on the waterways of our state,” said Governor Holton. “With this increasing traffic of water vehicles, it is imperative that all boatmen observe the basic rules of boating safety,” he emphasized. He called attention to the educational courses offered by the United States Coast Guard Auxiliary, the United States Power Squadrons, and local Safe Boating Committees, and urged all Virginians to take advantage of this life saving instruction.

In addition to the loss of life, 1969 boating accidents resulted in $136,900 in property damage, better that $2,000 per accident. With a couple of exceptions, boating accidents have remained fairly stable over the past 10 year period while the number of registered boats in Virginia has climbed from 35,000 to over 70,000. The 1970 figures include 8 vessels damaged in collisions with other vessels or fixed objects, 8 that capsized or sank from other causes, 5 damaged by fire or explosion, and three cases where operators fell overboard and were killed or drowned. All types of craft from canoes to cabin cruisers were involved. Constant vigilance is the price of safety.