Safe Boating Day is aimed at creating awareness of responsible boating and promoting education about boating safety for all ages. The free family-friendly event will feature live in-water demos, interactive safety displays, expert speakers, fire and other rescue boats and equipment, food trucks and more.

Participants will include the Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation, the Fort Lauderdale Fire-Rescue Marine Team, Coast Guard Auxiliary, Fire Aide, Sea Tow, Fort Lauderdale Police Department, ACR Electronics, Maritime Professional Training, International Crew Training, Fort Lauderdale Water Taxi, Young Professionals in Yachting – Fort Lauderdale, American Boat & Yacht Council and many more.

Summer also is the time of the year when the most boating accidents occur. The event, which coincides with National Safe Boating Week (May 21-27), will feature presentations and demonstrations from the Coast Guard Auxiliary, Pompano Beach Sail & Power Squadron, the Fort Lauderdale Fire Department Marine Team, Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission, Fort Lauderdale Water Taxi, Fire Aide, Throw Raft and American Boat & Yachting Council. They will cover a variety of topics, including life jacket demonstrations, fire prevention, life raft deployment, paddle board and kayak safety, knot tying and trailer safety and much more.

Safe Boating Day is organized by the Marine Industries Association of South Florida. To learn more about the event or opportunities to exhibit, visit www.miasf.org, call 954-524-2733 or email Sean Smith at sean@miasf.org.

Boating safety fun facts

• More than 30 million adults and 8 million children ages 6 to 15 fish. In one year, they fished 517 million days and took 403 million trips.
• Florida led the nation with 899,635 registered vessels in 2014.
• May saw the highest amount of accidents in 2014.
• FWC issued 38,178 Boating Safety Education ID cards in 2014.
• Boaters and anglers are more likely to recycle, carpool and donate money to environmental organizations than people who aren’t boaters and anglers.
• Americans are taking to the water: 35.7% of the U.S. adult population – 87.3 million Americans – participated in recreational boating at least once in 2014.
• 95% of boats on the water in the U.S. are less than 26 feet.
• The U.S. Coast Guard is smaller than the New York City Police Department.
• In one year, the Coast Guard responded to 19,790 search and rescue cases and saved 3,560 lives and more than $77 million in property.