WVDNR Urges Life Jacket Use During National Safe Boating Week

Agency promotes safe boating practices as summer season begins

CHARLESTON, W.Va. — To help promote National Safe Boating Week, the West Virginia Division of Natural Resources (WVDNR), in partnership with its Law Enforcement Section, is reminding boaters about the importance of wearing life jackets and safe boating practices.

National Safe Boating Week, observed this year from May 16-22, marks the start of the summer boating season and promotes the Safe Boating Campaign, a global initiative funded by the Sport Fish Restoration and Boating Trust Fund and administered by the U.S. Coast Guard. 

“As we head into the summer boating season, wearing a life jacket is one of the simplest and most effective ways to protect yourself and your loved ones on the water,” said WVDNR Director Brett McMillion. “We encourage everyone in West Virginia to make safety a priority every time they go boating.”

One of the most common issues Natural Resources Police encounter during the boating season is compliance with the state’s life jacket laws. Under West Virginia law, every person aboard a boat must have a properly sized U.S. Coast Guard-approved life jacket that is readily accessible and in good condition. Children under 13 must wear a life jacket while the boat is underway, unless they are below deck or in an enclosed cabin.

“There are a lot of myths about life jackets, but the reality is they save lives,” said Natural Resources Police Captain Warren Goodson, who oversees the WVDNR’s Boating Education Program. “New life jackets are more comfortable, lightweight and stylish than the bulky orange style most boaters are familiar with.”

According to the U.S. Coast Guard, drowning was the reported cause of death in three out of every four recreational boating fatalities in 2024, and 87 percent of those who drowned were not wearing life jackets.

West Virginia law requires anyone born on or after Dec. 31, 1986, to complete a boater education course approved by the National Association of State Boating Law Administrators before operating a motorboat. To learn more about boating rules and laws, safe boating practices and the WVDNR’s boater education program, visit WVdnr.gov/boating.