PropellerSafety.com

Archive for lanyard – Page 2

Kali’s Law signed by Texas Governor: boat kill switch law

Greg Abbot, Governor of Texas, signed Kali’s Law on Monday June 10, 2019 per a Soundings Trade Only report dated 11 June 2019. Named for Kali Gorzell, the law will require mandatory use of kill switch lanyards on certain vessels. Kali’s Law will go into effect September 1st, 2019.

Kali’s Law: Misleading Fatality Statistics

Kali Gorzell was a beautiful, enthusiastic, young woman when she was stuck and killed by a boat propeller 20 July 2012. There was a tremendous outpouring of love from her classmates and her community near San Antonio Texas. The boat operator was turning, the flats boat quickly “swapped ends” (spun 180 degrees), the operator was […]

LifeCord – smart kill switch lanyard

Inspired by the 2013 Milligan accident in the UK, John Barker, a UK businessman did something about the problem. At least in the UK, some boaters, especially those in rougher water want to attach their kill switch lanyard (known as a kill cord in the UK). However sometimes they forget to attach the lanyard. This […]

Mercury Marine announces technology partnership with Fell Marine

At the Miami Boat Show (16 February 2018) Mercury Marine announced a partnership with Fell Marine in which together, they will co-develop Mercury-exclusive wireless and Internet of Things (IoT) products that integrate with Mercury’s SmartCraft system “to make boating easier, safer, and more enjoyable than ever before.” Working prototypes are being shown on the water […]

Perpetual Boat Propeller Safety Hazards & How to Mitigate Them

The boating industry has been plagued with certain boat propeller safety hazards / issues for decades, some for over a century. While progress have been made on many fronts, some problems remain perpetual / eternal. Some solutions that have been applied have failed, others have wilted on the shelves for a variety of reasons. Some […]

USCG Kopytko boat kill switch PSA

U.S Coast Guard has released a Public Service Announcement (PSA) reenacting the June 1994 accident on Table Rock Lake in Missouri that maimed Phyllis Kopyto and claimed the lives of her husband Bob Kopytko and of their fishing guide, Paul Brundridge. Phyllis speaks over the reenactment video. The video is very forceful.

Deputy Devin Hodges killed by boat propeller during training exercises on Lake Hartwell in SC

Anderson County Sheriff’s Office (ACSO) in South Carolina was conducting on water training exercises in conjunction with the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers (USACE) on Lake Hartwell in the Singing Pines Recreational area near Starr South Carolina on Thursday 1 June 2017. ACSO Deputy Devin Hodges and another ACSO person were on a USACE boat […]

U.S. Coast Guard NBSAC97 meeting part 3

U.S. Coast Guard National Boating Safety Advisory Council (NBSAC) 87th meeting in Arlington Virginia March 23-25, 2017. Part 3 of our coverage. Thursday Late Afternoon 25 March 2017. Boats & Associated Equipment Subcommittee continued Recent Propeller Injuries & Discussion of Potential Mitigation Strategies by Phil Cappel Office of Auxiliary and Boating Safety and Brian Goodwin […]

U.S. Coast Guard NBSAC97 meeting part 4

U.S. Coast Guard National Boating Safety Advisory Council (NBSAC) 87th meeting in Arlington Virginia March 23-25, 2017. Part 4 of our coverage. Friday 25 March 2017. Prevention Through People Subcommittee Rich Jepson opened the Prevention Though People segment. He expressed his thanks to Jeff Ludwig, Jeff Hoedt, and Captain Boross. Streamlining On-Water Instructor Licensing by […]

5 year old stops boat in Circle of Death: Cowichan Bay / Vancouver Island Canada

This report is of a near miss propeller propeller accident that could have been avoided if the operator had been wearing a kill switch per Canadian authorities. It also points out the dangers of hypothermia while boating in cold waters that were stressed in the recent NBSAC meeting. Thursday night, 23 March 2017, a family […]