Contributing Writer Bob Moro
Florida leads the nation by far with over a million registered boats, and almost the same number of unregistered vessels. Our waters are dense with boats. It’s no surprise given our year-round boating climate that Florida also leads the nation in the number of accidents and deaths. Our accident numbers rose slightly in 2025 to 694, compared to 685 in 2024, while fatalities dropped sharply from 81 to 51 over the same period. Unfortunately, not in Lee County-we lead the state with 7 fatalities in 2025.
I’ve been reporting on the Florida Fish and Wildlife Commission and the USCG’s annual Recreational Boating Statistics in this magazine for each of the last nine years, and the cause of accidents and fatalities doesn’t change much. But there is value in looking at the data, even if it’s not everyone’s favorite pastime. Here’s a quick summary of FWC’s report. There’s lessons to be learned here.
Most Florida boating deaths in 2025 were due to drowning, yet most victims were not wearing a life jacket. Nationally, the numbers are even higher. Getting boaters to wear a PFD is one of the biggest challenges for organizations like FWC and my Fort Myers Power Squadron, but the data on what kills boaters is so clear that PFD’s save lives, we have to keep trying. Here’s what FWC has to say about it: “Life Jackets Save Lives - The FWC encourages boaters to find a comfortable life jacket and always wear it while boating. According to 2025 FWC boating accident statistics approximately 53% of the boating deaths were due to drowning. Of the total number of fatalities, 72% of the individuals were not wearing a life jacket. Events can cause a boater to end up in the water unexpectedly, and a person will not have time to grab their life jacket before they find themselves in the water.”
Here’s something I read in the FWC and USCG statistics every year: FWC’s report said that 68% of operators involved in fatal boating accidents in 2025 had no formal boating education. Yet most of them had over 100 hours of boating experience. I’ve said this before, you don’t learn safe boating by going for a boat ride, you learn it in a classroom.
“An educated boater is safer on the water. Everyone can benefit from taking a boating safety course,” FWC advised in their report. Florida law requires all boaters born on or after January 1, 1988 to complete a safe boating class to receive a Florida Boater’s ID card and legally operate a boat with 10 or more horsepower. Take the class-you and your passengers will be safer on the water.
The main cause of accidents wasn’t alcohol; it was not paying attention. Really. In all eight years of my researching boating accidents, operator inattention has been the #1 cause of accidents. Alcohol rank around sixth, with 47 incidents this year in Florida; but not paying attention was the cause 253 times. We teach keeping a Seaman’s Eye in our boating classes. If you’re out to kill yourself, however, alcohol does remain the #1 cause of fatal accidents.
And if you think your years of boating experience make you a safer boater, there’s this from the 2025 report (and all the other yearly reports): Most accidents and deaths occur on a boat piloted by someone 51 or older.
Lee County ranks third in the number of registered boats, (48,607) surpassed only by Miami Dade and Monroe counties. Monroe had the most accidents, (72) followed closely behind by Miami-Dade (67). Lee ranked third with 44 accidents. But led the state in fatalities with 7 s in 2025.
At the time of this writing, the Coast Guard had not yet released it’s 2025 report for the nation. They are usually out around rhe same time as FWC. It has been reported that they are struggling this year with staffing and funding problems.
National Safe Boating Week ran from May 16th to the 22nd, and Fort Myers Mayor Kevin Anderson once again issued a Proclamation honoring the event on May 18th. Thank you once again Mr. Mayor! I was pleased to attend with my Commander Sam Bonilla, Past Commander Bill Behrens from the San Carlos Sail and Power Squadron and FWC’s Public Information Officer Bradley Johnson.
FWC’s local Public Information Officer Bradley Johnson noted that the single biggest cause of boating accident deaths is drowning, and he urged all boaters to always be aware of your surroundings, obey slow speed zones, and wear a life jacket. Here’s more advice from Officer Johnson’s FWC: “Know Where You’re Going - Familiarize yourself with local boating speed zones before setting out. FWC’s website has maps of manatee zones for boaters to review and take with them: MyFWC.com/Wildlifehabitats/Managed/Manatee/Data-and-Maps. Remember, always travel at the safest speed suited for current environmental conditions.”
More information from the just-released FWC report: Most accidents occur on sunny days and calm seas. Collision with a fixed object was the main cause of both accidents and fatalities, but again, the reason for those accidents and deaths was not paying attention.
The lack of boating education among the operators involved in accidents and fatalities in Florida did not go unnoticed by the FWC researchers who produced the report. In the Introduction to the 89 page document, under the heading “Boater Education is Critical,”
they offered this: “These statistics show us the boat operator most likely to be involved in a boating accident is a middle-age or older male who has boating experience, yet never learned the most important safety considerations by having taken a boating safety course.”
Please consider taking a boating course; you’ll be surprised at what you don’t know. And you will emerge a better boater. We have four great squadrons in Lee County that have competent certified educators ready to teach you. We’ve been doing this for over 110 years. Their contact information is located elsewhere in this magazine.
Our friends at the USCG Auxiliary also do a great job training boaters. Most uneducated boaters involved in accidents have more than 100 hours of boating experience. You don’t learn safe boating by going for a boat ride-you learn it in a classroom.
So hopefully learning about if all this maritime mayhem will urge you to slow down, look around, and take a boating class. Interestingly, while Florida law enforcement wrote 21,217 tickets to boaters in 2024, up from 19,852 in 2023, the number dropped a bit to 17,662 in 2025. At least someone’s paying attention out there though.
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Past Commander Bob Moro AP
Fort Myers Power Squadron-America’s Boating Club
