CHARLOTTE, N.C. — The leading cause of boating mishaps in the Carolinas is not alcohol. Instead, it's boaters failing to pay attention.
The latest U.S. Coast Guard data show improper lookout and operator inattention were the top contributing factors to crashes in 2016 and 2017 in North and South Carolina. Those causes alone resulted in nearly 200 crashes. For comparison, excessive speeding caused 52 crashes and alcohol use caused 46 crashes, according to the data.
"The potential causes for inattention are numerous while out on the water," NC Wildlife Resources Commission Communications Specialist Ryan Kennemur said. "On the road, there are signs, stoplights and clear lines to help keep the operator focused. But in a vessel, you don't have those luxuries."
Records show the Carolinas are home to more boating crashes than most other states. Two of the most common locations for those crashes are Lake Norman and Lake Wylie.
Boating accident records show in just the last three years, boating mishaps resulted in more than 300 injuries and left more than 100 people dead across the Carolinas, most of the time the result of collisions with other boats or fixed objects.
"Distractions are seemingly everywhere: Other people on the boat, waves, weather (overexposure to the sun can cause fatigue), noise, wind, consumption of alcohol…the list goes on," Kennemur said. "It's the vessel operator's responsibility to make sure they are clear-headed and focused to ensure the safety of everyone on board and around the boat."
In recent years, three out of every four people who died on boats in the Carolinas weren't wearing life jackets, according to the data.
Records show most boat crashes nationwide occur on weekends, especially Saturdays, and generally involve men in their forties.
Earlier this week, 19-year-old James Coulter of Gastonia died after a boat capsized on the Catawba River. The NC Wildlife Resources Commission said the investigation into the cause of the drowning is ongoing.