OCEAN CITY, Md. - Maryland Department of Natural Resources held a press conference on Tuesday morning to reinforce boating laws. One of the key points stressed is that it is illegal to ride on the bow of a boat. The "Ride Inside" campaign started just a year after 9-year-old Kaden Frederick of Howell, New Jersey, died in a boating accident in Ocean City.
Col. Robert Ziegler says the message Maryland Natural Resources Police want to spread is to "Ride Inside."
“Which is don’t bow ride," he explains. "Bow-riding is obviously riding on the bow of the boat or hanging off the side."
Bow-riding is illegal in Maryland. Ziegler says 84 citations have already been issued this year. NRP and the Coast Guard work together to ensure that all boaters ride inside.
Nathan Beach, Coast Guard Master Chief for Ocean City, says crews will be doing random safety patrols. "(We'll) also be doing a significant amount of patrols, specifically looking for boating under the influence," he says.
The Ride Inside campaign started in 2017 just a year after Kaden died on the bay in Ocean City when he fell off a pontoon boat and was struck by the propeller, He was one of four people sitting with their legs dangling off the front of the boat.
“That’s what got the whole “Ride Inside” issue very prominent with NRP and we’ve been trying to get it in the public’s eye," says Col. Ziegler. "We’re bringing it up again this year just to keep it in the forefront.”
When Ride Inside first started, DNR gave stickers to local renters to share the message with their customers. Bayside Boat Rentals has these on the front door of all 16 of their pontoon boats.
“We see thousands of people throughout the summer," says co-owner Jackie Cutlip. "Sometimes you lose your whereabouts and sometimes when you're on the water, safety slips your mind," she says.
Cutlip says if Bayside sees anyone riding outside of their boat, they end the ride. "It’s called negligent operation," she says.
DNR says there were 16 boating fatalities statewide last year, but there have been none due to bow-riding since this campaign started.
For more of Maryland's state requirements for recreational vessels, click here.
