The Associated Press FIREFIGHTER JEREMY VIRTS speaks with a woman involving in a boating accident near Great Falls, Mont., last July 4. The Great Falls Fire Department responds to a high number of calls on the holiday.

What should have been a relaxing duck hunt turned into a brush with boating disaster some years ago for Columbia resident Mike Kuykendall.

He and a friend set out in a fishing boat but didn't get far before they struck a partially submerged limb.

"We rode the boat down into the water," Kykendall said.

Thankfully, both passengers avoided injury - but now Kuykendall is big on giving boating safety advice.

"Know where you're going and know how the elements can affect your safety," he often says.

State and local boating safety experts agree that common sense, following safety laws and leaving alcohol on the shore can keep days of boating fun from taking a tragic turn.

More than 180,000 aquatic vessels are registered in Mississippi, and about 200 sworn officers with the law enforcement bureau of the Jackson-based Mississippi Department of Wildlife, Fisheries and Parks patrol all public waterways from the Mississippi Sound north during the summer months, Maj. Lane Ball said.

Last year, there were seven fatalities and 22 injuries resulting from boating accidents in Mississippi, Ball said; accidents caused more than $112,000 in property damage and officers issued at least 1,800 citations.

Failure to wear life jackets, alcohol consumption and lack of familiarity with boating equipment are chief culprits, he said. One life jacket per passenger is required in any boat; those operating personal watercraft like Jet Skis and Sea-Doos must wear one at all times.

"We have accidents every year where fishermen or boaters capsize, they're not wearing their life jackets, and they drown," Ball said. "I have worked for over 21 years in the enforcement bureau and I have yet to see a person involved in boating accident drown while wearing a life jacket."

Boating education requirements for operators have helped stem accidents and casualties as well. The minimum age to operate any kind of boat in Mississippi - including personal watercraft - is 12, and all boat operators born after June 1980 are required to take a boating education course.

Each of Mississippi's counties offers boating safety classes several times a year, and certification is available online as well, Ball said.

Drinking while boating, though not an overwhelming problem in Mississippi, is a major safety hazard, Ball said, noting that the blood-alcohol content threshold for boat operators is a 0.10 reading on a breath test. Motor vehicle drivers in Mississippi cannot exceed 0.08.

Canoeing the Pine Belt's beautiful streams and rivers is probably the favorite local aquatic activity - thousands of outdoors enthusiasts take to the chilly waterways every spring and summer.

Though the scenic Black Creek is known for its placid surface and lack of rapids, canoeing can still be dangerous if water levels rise too high.

"We cut off trips when it gets unsafe," said Brandon Pearcecq, owner of Black Creek Canoe Rental in Brooklyn, adding that he monitors water levels throughout the day. The outfit provides a life jacket for every individual in each canoe it sets out on the river, and makes sure they properly fit children under 12 beforehand.

Canoeists get safety instruction and life jackets from Okatoma Canoe Rental in Sanford before they're turned loose on the water, said co-owner Lisa Robinsoncq. She encourages all boaters to wear life jackets no matter how proficient they are at swimming.

"That way if you get into trouble - bump your head or go unconscious - you still have something to support you," she said.

Water safety courses are also available through the local chapter of the Red Cross, which partners with the city of Hattiesburg and the University of Southern Mississippi to provide comprehensive training programs that help people be safe in, on and around the water, said Janice Vannattacq, executive director.

Lifeguard training, water safety instruction and swimming lessons are among the offerings.

"The program is growing with the popularity of water parks and other outdoor venues," Vannatta said. "We encourage everyone to take one of the swimming programs for adults and children."

Meanwhile, law enforcement officers are looking forward to a safe summer for all on the water. Ball reminded all boaters to maximize safety by not to mixing alcohol and boating, by wearing life jackets, keeping speed down relative to existing conditions and being familiar with all boating equipment.

Originally published Friday, June 1, 2007