One of the deadliest dangers in boating is carbon-monoxide poisoning. Last July, a
7-year-old Flagstaff girl died from carbon-monoxide poisoning during a boating trip at Lake
Powell.

Carbon monoxide is an odorless, tasteless gas that in sufficient concentrations can replace
the oxygen in your lungs, which can be fatal.

Carbon monoxide is produced not only by boat engines but also by generators, making it a
special concern with houseboats. Houseboats rented at Lake Powell marinas have carbonmonoxide
detectors. But privately owned houseboats may not have them.

Here are safety tips from the National Park Service and the U.S. Coast Guard:

• Do not allow passengers to congregate around engines or the backs of boats when
engines or generators are running. This is especially important if the boat is enclosed for
warmth.

• Maintain fresh-air circulation throughout the boat at all times. Run exhaust blowers
whenever the generator is operating.

• Some boats vent carbon monoxide out the back, and the deadly gas can collect under
the swim step and other spaces under the boat. The gas remains there long after engines
and generators have been shut down. Don't play or swim under the swim step or under
the boat.

• Although carbon monoxide can be present without the smell of exhaust fumes, if you
smell exhaust fumes, carbon monoxide also is present. Take immediate action to dissipate
these fumes.

• Treat symptoms of seasickness as possible carbon-monoxide poisoning. Get the person
into fresh air immediately. Seek medical attention if you can't rule out carbon monoxide.

With the temperature warming up, more and more boaters will be taking to local waterways,
and Beaver Lake officials are making it their mission to make safety sense common
sense.

Coast Guard Auxiliary Emphasize Boating Safety On Beaver Lake.
Friday was the start of National Safe Boating Week, and law enforcement focused on educating
the public about safety on the water. The Coast Guard Auxiliary on Beaver Lake is at the forefront of that mission in Northwest Arkansas. 

Friday, hundreds of anglers in the FLW Tour tournament are casting their lines and speeding
across Beaver Lake, but with Memorial Day just a week away, the professionals will
soon be replaced with people boating for pleasure.

Alan Main and Keith Burt are two of 29 volunteers with the Coast Guard Auxiliary who
patrol Beaver Lake with safety in mind.

"We've seen a lot of things on this lake. Usually it involves people not thinking: People
sitting on a pontoon boat with their legs dangling, or people sitting on the side of the boat
while it's moving. It's extremely dangerous," Main said.

All boats must have a life jacket for everyone on board, and for anyone in a boating accident,
having that live jacket on will likely save his life, officials said.

According to a Coast Guard study, 90 percent of people who die in a boating accident were
not wearing a life jacket.

Also be concerned about carbon monoxide on the water. For people skiing or wake boarding,
hanging out too close to the motor can be deadly, officials said.

Just like on the road, alcohol is the leading cause of death on the water, and just like on
the highway, a designated driver can save lives.

According to a Coast Guard study, 688 people died in boating accidents nationwide in
2007. Three-fourths of those people had no boating safety training.

In Arkansas, boaters have to have to take a course if they were born after 1985.