Our Lessons for Life program uses true-life stories of boating accidents and near escapes to deliver unforgettable lessons. The campaign includes videos and written narratives and map graphics to describe how boaters and paddlers get into trouble. These stories originally appeared in outlets including Boating magazine, Men’s Journal, Paddling magazine and Reader’s Digest.
- Striper Hunt Nearly Turns Deadly For Kayak Angler
Ambrose Salmini was going through a rough patch in April 2022 and like many… Read more: Striper Hunt Nearly Turns Deadly For Kayak Angler - Boater’s High-Speed Ejection and Survival Swim
‘What are the odds?’ asks Jack Doty after miracle rescue from freezing lake After… Read more: Boater’s High-Speed Ejection and Survival Swim - One-In-A-Million Ghost Boat Rescue
The quick thinking and extraordinary luck that brought a North Carolina fisherman back from… Read more: One-In-A-Million Ghost Boat Rescue - Heroic Boating Rescue
Sgt. Brian Parkton knew the situation could turn bad in a heartbeat. The veteran… Read more: Heroic Boating Rescue - Heroes Rescue Kids From Epic Boating Smackdown
By Jeff Moag Shane McDonald couldn’t look away. He and his son Jake were… Read more: Heroes Rescue Kids From Epic Boating Smackdown - Incredible Boating Rescue Caught On Camera
‘This Could Have Killed Him!’ fishing guide says, and that’s no hype You never… Read more: Incredible Boating Rescue Caught On Camera - Lifeline
Adrift on a capsized boat 16 miles offshore, a palm-sized personal locator beacon was… Read more: Lifeline - The Rest of the Story
What happened after this viral smash-up at the mouth of the Columbia is just… Read more: The Rest of the Story - Bass Boat Hero Coralls Runaway Boat
Getting thrown from a bass boat at 60 mph is one way to learn about the importance of Engine Cutoff Switches. - A Whistle in the Wind
Mark Wheeler went overboard in pitch darkness and a 40-knot squall. This is the… Read more: A Whistle in the Wind - Rescue at Pictured Rocks: Reader’s Digest Version
It was meant to be another boys’ trip, the latest in a tradition that stretched back more than two decades. It soon became an epic fight for survival. - Teen Boaters Rescue Five From Capsized Boat
The radio made all the difference, Evan Kamoen says. Evan, then 18, was heading… Read more: Teen Boaters Rescue Five From Capsized Boat - Who Do You Call When Your Kayak Sinks?
Treading water three miles offshore is no place for a wrong number Christian Nelson… Read more: Who Do You Call When Your Kayak Sinks? - Surfski Paddler Saves Kayaker From Freezing Lake
Five lessons from a dramatic close call caught on video Anyone who has helped… Read more: Surfski Paddler Saves Kayaker From Freezing Lake - Lone kayaker saves two men from sinking motorboat
Unlikely hero credits kayak safety training for rescue of two non-swimmers from South Carolina… Read more: Lone kayaker saves two men from sinking motorboat - Answering the Call
When a 17-year-old paddleboarder was swept out to sea, his survival depended on his… Read more: Answering the Call - Collision on the Chesapeake
What re-enacting the unlikeliest accident on Chesapeake Bay tells us about boating safety. - Rescue at Pictured Rocks
By Jeff Moag It was meant to be another boy’s trip, the latest in… Read more: Rescue at Pictured Rocks - Losing a 300-pound Marlin—And Their Boat
Ten minutes, maybe less. That’s all the time Dan Suski had from the moment… Read more: Losing a 300-pound Marlin—And Their Boat - A Lesson to Live By
Kayak angler Sean Danielson’s father insisted he wear a lifejacket. Years later, that advice… Read more: A Lesson to Live By - Kayak Angler Smashed by Motorboat
August 31, 2019 was shaping up as an unforgettable day even before kayak angler… Read more: Kayak Angler Smashed by Motorboat - Kayakers Learn From NYC Ferry Collision
New York City is an extraordinary place to paddle. The Hudson waterfront on the… Read more: Kayakers Learn From NYC Ferry Collision - Swept Away
A Kayaker’s disappearance provides hard lessons and hope for a better future By Jeff… Read more: Swept Away - Rescue Under the Lights
When a night-fishing mission goes awry, two kayak anglers learn the importance of staying calm and working together - Mississippi Miracle
How river pilot Sean Tittle stopped a 12,000-ton vessel and saved a family of three - Tragedy on Dungeness Bay
A sea kayaking accident underlines the peril of cold water. By Jeff Moag Dungeness… Read more: Tragedy on Dungeness Bay