An aerial view of the 2021 Stanley Cup victory boat parade on the Hillsborough River in July. Photo: Julio Aguilar/Getty Images
Florida has surpassed 1 million registered recreational vessels (aka boats), the Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission announced this week.
By the numbers: Tampa Bay has two of the state's top five counties for vessel registration — Pinellas (53,867) and Hillsborough (41,495).
- The others: Miami-Dade (74,622), Lee (50,304) and Broward (47,741).
Why it matters: While Florida leads the nation in most registered boats, it also has the highest number of reported boating accidents.
- In 2020, 836 boating accidents were reported to the FWC, including 79 deaths (with five missing persons presumed dead) and 534 injuries.
- Most recently, a man drowned while trying to tow his boat back to shore on Lake Seminole — hours after firefighters had rescued him from the sinking boat.
Be smart: FWC encourages boaters to wear life jackets, maintain 360-degree awareness and know the dangers of (and penalties for) operating a vessel while impaired.
- The commission also recommends taking one of its educational courses this spring.
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