Stakeholders discuss boater safety after woman's death off Dania Beach
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Axios was the only media outlet at the roundtable. Photo: Naomi Feinstein/Axios.
Water safety stakeholders from across the state gathered in Hollywood to discuss ways to improve boat and diver safety.
Why it matters: Snorkelers and divers in South Florida want cities to push boats further offshore after 31-year-old Kellie Williams was hit and killed by a boat in June off Dania Beach.
Driving the news: On Wednesday, the Florida Safe Waters Coalition hosted a roundtable at the Marine Environmental Education Center to discuss how to prevent future tragedies.
- Attendees included representatives from state and federal agencies and law enforcement, as well as water safety advocates and divers.
- The discussion was led by Carter Viss, who created the Viss Foundation to advocate for dive and boat safety after he was hit by a boat while snorkeling at Breakers Reef in Palm Beach County on Thanksgiving 2019.
- He lost his right arm, nearly lost his legs and broke his left wrist after a boat going 45mph hit him 230 yards from the beach.
- Williams' father, Walter, also joined the discussion.
Inside the room: Divers shared how they see boaters driving too close to shore, speeding by dive flags and anchoring near reefs, damaging coral habitats.
- The group discussed the challenges of enforcing speed limits in the open ocean, technology that could alert boaters when they're too close to reefs or divers and ways to get more people educated on boat safety.
- Officials with state and local agencies said a lack of manpower has made it difficult to enforce boating rules and protect coral reefs. They said they need more officers and constantly see boaters not following the rules.
Catch up quick: Two months before Williams' death, the Hollywood City Commission voted to allow boats 218 yards from shore, down from 300 yards, and install markers along the boundary.
- City officials said the change allows boaters to visit reefs closer to shore, creates clearly marked swim areas and ensures lifeguards can reach swimmers in distress.
- Opponents said snorkelers will still swim to the natural reef at 218 yards, putting the most inexperienced snorkelers and boaters right by each other.
Zoom in: To pilot a motorboat, anyone born in or after 1988 must complete an approved boating safety course and get a Boating Safety Education ID from the Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission.
- Tom Reinert, regional director for FWC's south region, said 35% of people who complete the course annually don't fall within the required age group.
- The group wants to increase that share.
The takeaways: The stakeholders agreed that education and enforcement are the main areas for improvement.
- They said the priority should be working with local and state officials to secure funding for education and enforcement, along with passing new boat-safety legislation.
- They also floated asking county and city commissions to add signs at boat ramps to remind boaters not to get too close to a dive flag.