Coast Guard offers tips for water safety after deadly weekend at sea

<p>Officials in Connecticut are advising boaters to be vigilant after a deadly weekend on the Long Island Sound.</p>

News 12 Staff

Jun 26, 2017, 9:54 AM

Updated 2,664 days ago

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Officials in Connecticut are advising boaters to be vigilant after a deadly weekend on the Long Island Sound.
Just this weekend, officials in Connecticut say at least two boaters died, and say another boater was injured.
They say a sailboat struck a moored vessel near the Greens Ledge Lighthouse in Darien around 10 a.m. Sunday morning. One of the boaters was taken to the hospital with a leg injury and is expected to be OK.
Officials also say the body of a 51-year-old man was pulled from the waters in Stamford Harbor Saturday. The victim was taken to a hospital where he died. Police say he was one of several people aboard a 38-foot cabin cruiser.
Both incidents are under investigation.
The Coast Guard says 40 of 55 people involved in boating accidents drowned in 2016. They say 45 of those people were not wearing a life jacket.
With summer underway and Independence Day approaching, officials are now warning those at sea to be extra cautious.
They say that boaters should ensure their inflatable life jackets are operating properly, check that flares and fire extinguishers are not past their expiration dates and to change batteries in strobe lights, beacons and handheld radios.