Eagle County: Report runaway boats, fire chief says

Steve Lynn
Vail, CO Colorado
April 17, 2008

Comments Print Email

EAGLE, Colorado — Firefighters are asking that kayakers and other boaters report their runaway boats this year.

If kayakers lose their boats on the river, they should report it to authorities by calling (970)479-2200 or calling the fire department at (970)328-7244, said Chris Blankenship, deputy chief for the Greater Eagle Fire Protection District.
Firefighters often get calls from people about boats floating upside down in the river.

So reporting missing boats will help firefighters avoid unnecessary rescues, Blankenship said.

“We get our fair share of false alarms,” he said.

Reporting a lost boat also could help you get it back. Boaters should write their names and phone numbers in their boats with a marker so firefighters can return them if they’re found, Blankenship said.

Boaters also should write their names and emergency contact information in their life jackets in case they’re hurt or killed, he said. That helps authorities in identifying people and finding other people to let them know, in a “worse-case scenario,” what happened, he said.