Labor Day Boating: Life Jackets, Cut-Off Switches Could Save Your Life
Clearwater, Fla. – September 08, 2026 -- The National Safe Boating Council is urging boaters heading onto the water this Labor Day weekend to wear life jackets and use engine cut-off switches, citing federal data showing drowning as the leading cause of boating deaths.
Drowning caused 76% of boating fatalities in 2024
According to the 2024 U.S. Coast Guard Recreational Boating Statistics, drowning was the reported cause of death in 76% of all boating fatalities that year. Of those drowning victims, 87% were not wearing a life jacket at the time of the incident.
"Labor Day weekend is a wonderful time to celebrate the close of summer on the water, but safety must come first," said Peg Phillips, executive director of the National Safe Boating Council. She urged boaters to wear a life jacket, use an engine cut-off switch, and never operate a vessel under the influence.