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Campaign Promotes Safe Boating Among Hispanic families

Press Release
May 24, 2021

Washington, DC – The America’s Boating Club (ABC), in collaboration with Hispanic Communications Network (HCN) launched an educational multimedia campaign to promote making boating safer and more enjoyable through education, on the water training, and promoting good fellowship among Latino families in the United States.  

Tens of thousands of new boaters are buying boats to escape the quarantine, and boat manufacturers can’t build them fast enough to meet demand. Sadly, many of these new boaters have had no boating education or experience. As early as mid-July, The Coast Guard Office of Boating Safety was projecting a 30% jump in on-the-water incidents, along with a 4% increase in deaths over 2019. 

“The campaign emphasizes the importance of making boating safer and more enjoyable through many fun classes and training for power boating, sailing, paddling, and much more. Additionally, it should be clear to all families, that safety and fun go hand in hand,” said Mary Paige Abbott, Chief Commander of the America’s Boating Club.

According to The Coast Guard 2019 Recreational Boating Statistics report, where instruction was known, 70% of deaths occurred on boats where the operator did not receive boating safety instruction. Only 20% percent of deaths occurred on vessels where the operator had received a nationally approved boating safety education certificate. 

 “This is why this campaign efforts are extremely important and will help build and inspire a culture of boating safety among the Spanish-speaking audience. Through messages in our La Red Hispana digital platforms, we educate our communities to prevent boating accidents,” said Alison Rodden, Chief Executive Officer of Hispanic Communications Network. 

The United States Power Squadrons, America’s Boating Club, knows a thing or two about boating safety. Here are the four most important things every boater should know:

  • First: Wear a life jacket. 75% of boating deaths are from drowning, and 85% of those victims were not wearing a life jacket.  And by the way, 75% of those victims were considered “good swimmers.”  
  • Second:  Make sure your vessel complies with all state and federal safety requirements. America’s Boating Club provides free vessel safety checks from certified examiners who ensure that you are good to go on the water.  
  • Third: Use your “seaman’s eye” and pay attention at all times when piloting your boat. Year after year, nearly half of all accidents and a third of deaths are attributed simply to operator inattention or inexperience. That beats by a wide margin alcohol, speeding, hazardous waters, navigational errors, and everything else in preventing accidents. 
  • Fourth: Take a boating class. Each year between 70% and 80% of operators who crashed had never taken a boating class. 

The campaign will run from the 17th to the 31st of May through La Red Hispana digital platforms such as Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram. Messaging is didactic, showing appropriate boating safety practices for Hispanic families. For more information about the campaign and America’s Boating Club, visit https://americasboatingclub.org/bienvenido/quienes-somos and www.laredhispana.org/americas-boating-club. 

About America’s Boating Club 

America’s Boating Club® is a registered trademark of United States Power Squadrons®, a 501(c)(3) non-profit organization dedicated to boating safety and education. Our members are boaters and boating families who boat together, learn together, and contribute to their communities by promoting safe boating through education. America’s Boating Club has over 20,000 members organized into more than 300 squadrons across the country.

About Hispanic Communications Network -La Red Hispana- 

Hispanic Communications Network -HCN- is the market’s leading communication service, dedicated to the production and distribution of educational and informational content for the Hispanic community in the United States. HCN is positioned to provide its clients and government collaborators and nonprofit organizations with effective solutions when it comes to producing and distributing media campaigns focused on service and the generation of wellbeing within Hispanic communities. To learn more visit: hcnmedia.com and Laredhispana.com

Contact: Mercy Padilla
(202) 360-4112
mercy.padilla@hcnmedia.com