A Boat Accident and the Importance of Life Jackets

Recreational boating safety is in the headlines this week after a boat capsized. Tragically, three children died in the boating accident after watching the Independence Day fireworks off Long Island Sound.

Officials are investigating the cause of the accident, but it is possible that the boat was overloaded. Ten children and 17 adults were onboard the 34-foot-long yacht when it tipped and sank. Another complication was that the children were trapped in a cabin and did not have access to life jackets.

Boating accidents are relatively rare, but can be deadly when they do happen. Approximately 30 percent of Texas boating accidents involve alcohol. At nearby Canyon Lake, law enforcement officials were on the lookout for intoxicated boaters over the holiday week.