COLUMBUS, OH - State watercraft officers logged a record number of patrol hours on Ohio waterways and at boat ramps last year, according to the Ohio Department of Natural Resources (ODNR). Additionally, they performed a record number of watercraft inspections and calls for assistance to boaters.
From helping improve boater safety to enhancing the boating experience, the increased time state watercraft officers spent on Ohios waterways clearly benefited recreational boaters, said Ken Alvey, chief of the ODNR Division of Watercraft.
Last year, state watercraft officers logged 27,100 on-water patrol hours last year, 25 percent more hours than were logged in 2001. Patrol hours at boat ramps more than doubled from 2,472 in 2001 to 5,242 hours in 2002.
Boat inspections tripled from 14,516 in 2001 to 42,864 last year. Spot inspections and casual visual boat inspections rose last year to 8,780 from 8,500 in 2001. State watercraft officers responded to a record number of 3,548 calls for assistance to boaters.
Boaters also benefited from boating safety and enforcement activities that were provided around Ohio by local marine patrols, the U.S. Coast Guard, U.S. Coast Guard Auxiliary and U.S. Power Squadrons.
These groups represent important partnerships shared with the ODNR Division of Watercraft in the overall effort of promoting safe boating and enforcement of boating rules, said Alvey.
Additional information on Ohios boating programs, education programs and safety tips is available on the ODNR web page at ohiodnr.com