Three teenagers went fishing Friday night on a pond off East Burton Street in Sulphur, Louisiana. According to the Calcasieu Parish Sheriff’s Office, the group, two 16-year-olds and a 15-year-old, took an aluminum boat onto the water without permission to be on the private property or to use the boat. The vessel flipped, and the teens could not get it upright. One swam to shore and called for help, and a second made it to the bank. The third teen, age 16, was later found dead.
Aluminum boats are popular because they’re light and affordable, but that same lightness makes them unstable. Standing to cast, reaching over the side, or shifting weight suddenly can roll a small boat in seconds. At night, on unfamiliar water, the margin for error shrinks even further.
Here on the Suncoast, water is never far away. Neighborhood ponds, canals, the Myakka, the Gulf. That access is part of why we live here, and it’s also why water safety deserves a regular spot at the dinner table. Life jackets, staying seated, telling an adult where you’re going, and respecting posted property all matter more than most kids realize.
Have you talked with your kids about small boat safety? What rules does your family follow on the water?
