It's the Law: On the Water

Boating Crash Incident

• An operator involved in a boating crash incident or other casualty must:
  • Stop his or her vessel immediately at the scene of the boating crash incident and ...
  • Give assistance to anyone injured in the boating crash incident or minimize any danger caused by the boating crash incident unless doing so would seriously endanger his or her vessel or passengers and ...
  • Give his or her name, address, and the identifying number of his or her vessel in writing to anyone injured from the boating crash incident and to the owner of any damaged property.
• Boating crash incidents must be reported if they result in the death or injury of anyone or in property damage over $500.
• The operator must give notice of the boating crash incident immediately, by the quickest means possible, to the Louisiana Department of Wildlife and Fisheries (LDWF), the nearest law enforcement agency, or the State Police. To contact LDWF in an emergency, call 1-800-442-2511.
• The operator also must file a written report on a boating crash incident report form within five days of the boating crash incident. Boating crash incident report forms are available from any LDFW office or may be downloaded from the LDWF's website, www.wlf.louisiana.gov.