News Release Archives - May 2009
May 11, 2009
Missouri River Safety Day Set for May 30
Last year’s inaugural Missouri River Safety Day in Mandan was so successful, organizers decided to have another.
The North Dakota Game and Fish Department, Cumulus Broadcasting and Gate City Banks are sponsoring the second annual Missouri River SPLASH – a recreation and boating safety event for everyone who enjoys the Missouri River.
The four-hour event is May 30 in Mandan from 11 a.m. to 3 p.m. at Moritz Sport and Marine. Displays, hands-on activities, demos, regulations, registrations and prizes are included.
Nancy Boldt, boat and water safety coordinator for the Game and Fish Department, said the event is free, and people of all ages are invited to attend. “It was a great success last spring, and we hope to build on this and make it a wonderful event for the entire family,” Boldt said. “There is a lot of public interaction with many different agencies, and you don’t have to stay for the entire day. People can come and go as they please.”
Safety on the Missouri River has been a major enforcement issue for the Game and Fish Department, as the number of boaters and jet skiers has almost doubled in the past five years. “With the high water level we anticipate an increase in the number of people recreating on the river this year, and with more users occupying a limited space additional problems are sure to arise,” Boldt said.
Holding this event should remind people to take the North Dakota Boating Course, know the navigation rules, and use common sense and courtesy while on the water. “And like last year, people who bring a completed boating safety exam to the event are eligible to win a special prize,” Boldt said. “At the very least, if you present a certified boater card you can win a life jacket, tow behind tube or something else.”
State law requires youngsters ages 12-15 who want to operate a boat or personal watercraft with at least a 10 horsepower motor to first pass the state’s Boat North Dakota safety course. In addition, some major insurance companies give adult boat owners who pass the course a premium discount on boat insurance.
The Boat North Dakota safety course is free and available at the Game and Fish Department, or in Bismarck and Mandan at any local boat dealer, all Gate City Bank locations, and at Cumulus Broadcasting.
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