PORTSMOUTH, Va. - There has been an uptick of safety violations surrounding charter boats in Hampton Roads, according to the Coast Guard.
“The Coast Guard's ultimate goal is to make sure that when people are operating on the water, particularly when they are paying to be on board a vessel, that they are boarding a vessel that is safe for them to be on,” said Lt. Joe Bannon.
Bannon said they recently did an operation near Virginia Beach. He said they stopped seven boats and found seven safety violations. He said most of them revolved around passenger for hire boats.
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Bannon also said typically the person who signs the rental agreement assumes all responsibility for safety regulations and could be held liable if something were to go wrong.
Lt. Alex Gagne explained to News 3 how you can protect yourself.
“If you’re taking a charter, you want to make sure that licensed operator has a Coast Guard credential," said Gagne. "It looks like a small passport book, a red passport book essentially, and ask those basic questions of if they have enough life jackets on board."
Gagne said there are consequences for violating safety regulations to include fines and even having your captain license suspended.
