Local Flotilla busy on and off the water
Posted on Wednesday, May 7, 2008
A group of local volunteers wants to save lives on Beaver Lake, so the 30 members donate their time and expertise to become "America's Volunteer Lifesavers."
They belong to Flotilla 56, Division 5, District 8 Western Rivers Coast Guard Auxiliary.
The Coast Guard Auxiliary was founded in 1939 to assist the Coast Guard, Flotilla Public Affairs Officer J. J. Johnson said. It's part of Homeland Security.
The local Flotilla is responsible for all the waterways in the area, but most of their members are active on Beaver Lake, he said. They patrol the lake in their own boats, displaying a Coast Guard Auxiliary banner only when they're "on duty."
But some people will encounter the Coast Guard Auxiliary on dry land. The group puts on free boating courses several times a year. Anyone born after Jan. 1, 1986, needs to take the course before they can legally operate a boat, Johnson said.
"That's our No. 1 priority - to teach new boaters the rules of the road," Johnson said. "You'd be surprised at the number of people who buy a brand new boat and have never been on the water in their lives."
The course teaches rights of way rules as well as basic safety rules, such as wearing a floatation device, he said. There are slides and videos of boat accidents to impress on new boaters how dangerous it can be to break those rules.
Everyone passes the Auxiliary classes, Johnson said. If they don't pass the test the first time, someone will work with them until they can successfully pass the test, he promised.
There are also vessel safety inspections, sometimes on dry land and sometimes on the lake. The Auxiliary checks safety equipment, including the horn, windshield wipers and flares. They count the number of life jackets stored on board. No matter how many passengers are actually on the boat, there should be enough life jackets for the full capacity, Johnson said. They always check the bilge to see if gas or fumes are leaking, he added.
The Auxiliary has no police powers, Johnson said. They can give warnings and recommendations, but they can't issue citations. What they can do is call the Sheriff's Office with information about a boat they find in violation, he explained.
On busy summer weekends, especially around the Fourth of July, Auxiliary members are available to help stranded boaters, Johnson said.
"We'll be busy," Johnson predicted. There's even a member who uses his own aircraft to patrol the lake and look for boaters who may be in trouble. If he sees someone, he dispatches a patrol boats to the location.
The 30 active members of the local Flotilla come from all walks of life. Not only do they volunteer their time on evenings and weekends, they even pay for their own uniforms and use their own vessels. Several members, including Johnson, served in the military and want to continue to help.
They meet once a month at the Rogers Airport to discuss problems and hear speakers from other agencies. There are also socials so the members can get to know each other, he said.
For more information about the Coast Guard Auxiliary, call Johnson at 721-1865.
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