Safety should be a priority for Pennsylvania boaters

• Scott LaMar
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  Scott LaMar has worked in both radio and television for more than four decades.
  
  Currently, LaMar is the Host and Executive Producer of The Spark program on WITF-FM, 89.5 & 93.3 in Harrisburg, Pa.
  
  Previously, LaMar was WITF TV’s Sr. Public Affairs producer and produced the station’s award-winning weekly public affairs TV program, Smart Talk.
  
  In addition to his on-air duties, LaMar has moderated political candidate debates, including those for candidates running for Pennsylvania governor and the U.S. Senate and was a regular contributor to BBC World News TV before and after the 2020 U.S. Presidential election.
  
  LaMar often emcees or moderates local events and has gone as far as California to emcee a national event.
  
  The American Society of Civil Engineers honored LaMar with their national Excellence in Journalism award in 2020. He has been nominated for five Mid-Atlantic Emmy Awards.
  
  LaMar and The Spark have been recognized throughout the Central Pennsylvania community including ADVOZ Lancaster’s “Dignity in Dialogue Award”, the South-Central Assembly’s “Regional Citizen Award” and was named a “Humanitarian Hero” by The Humane Society of the United States/Pennsylvania.
  
  A native of Coatesville, Pa., LaMar has also worked as a broadcast news anchor, sports play-by-play announcer and manager.

Driving into the sunset.

Airdate: May 4th, 2023

 

A boat with two men on board capsized near the Dock Street Dam in the Susquehanna River at Harrisburg two weeks ago. One man drowned and the other survived.

The Dock Street Dam is a particularly dangerous spot for boaters but even places on lakes and rivers in Pennsylvania that are ideal for boating can be dangerous if those operating the boat make mistakes or don’t take precautions.

As the weather warms, there will be more boats on the water and safety should be a priority.

To discuss boating safety on The Spark Thursday were Laurel Anders, Director of the Bureau of Boating, and Mike Parker, Communications Director for the Pennsylvania Fish and Boat Commission.

Anders said the biggest safety mistake boaters make is not wearing a life jacket,”80% of deaths occurred of people who weren’t wearing a life jacket at the time of the incident. So we can surmise then that most people who are in accidents rely heavily on their life jackets to save their lives during a very stressful, traumatic situation. Whether the water is cold, they end up falling overboard unexpectedly or whatever. That life jacket is there to keep them buoyant until they can get their thoughts together, until they can be rescued, get out of the water. And without the life jacket, that’s when they get into trouble.”

Anders indicated drinking alcohol while boating is another cause of boating accidents,”Sober boating is so very important. We see so many accidents throughout our state and across the nation where alcohol is involved. And it’s an influencing factor in why the accident occurred to begin with. We know that you know it. People normally drive to get to their boating location. So that means they’re going to be driving home. So if they’re drinking on the water, then, they’re potentially impaired on their drive home. So we encourage people to just leave the alcohol at home, save it for when you get back to shore. When you get back home.”