Sgt. Daniel Kennedy rescued five boaters
Sgt. Daniel Kennedy of the NC Wildlife Resources Commission was off-duty when he got word of a vessel in distress on the Neuse River on June 4.
The call stated five boaters and two dogs were in turmoil on a sailboat being tossed about by waves that ranged between 4 and 6 feet high.
Kennedy headed to the boat launch in Pamlico County with his patrol boat, where he was met by members of the Pamlico County Swift Water Task Force and the Down East Fire Dept., who joined him to search for the boaters.
The waters were treacherous, with intense waves. But luckily, they were able to find the boaters and get them aboard. During the rescue, Kennedy’s boat suffered damage and lost power, but he quickly diagnosed the problem, restored power to his boat, and returned everyone safely to shore.
SC has new boating law
South Carolina has a new boating law in place, as of Aug. 18, 2023. The new law requires boaters who were born after July 1, 2007 to take a boater education course and pass a required test before operating any watercraft, including PWC (jet skis), boats, or specialty prop-craft powered by a motor of 10 HP or higher.
Anyone born before July 1, 2007 is exempt. Others who are exempt include those with a US Coast Guard license or merchant mariner credentials, nonresident boaters with equivalent boating safety credentials from their home state, those operating a rental boat who posses a temporary rental safety certificate, or someone in the company of a qualified boater that is at least18-years-old.
For more information on South Carolina’s new boating law, including how and where to attend the required boating education course, visit dnr.sc.gov/boating.
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