Report: Florida Led Nation in Boating Accidents, Deaths in 2017

Officials say the number of boating accidents in Florida is rising.

The Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission last month released its annual boating accident report that showed that there was a nearly 14 percent rise in accidents in 2017. A total of 67 people died in boating accidents, which was the same number of deaths there were in 2016.

The report shows that Florida leads the nation in both boating accidents and boating deaths.

In 2017, 261 boating accidents involved collisions, and 38 percent of all collisions were due to inattention or the operator failing to maintain a proper lookout.

The commission also said that falls overboard have been the leading type of fatal accident since 2003, with drowning as the leading cause of death.