Due to Hurricane Irma’s waterfront damage, the famed Columbus Day regatta has been canceled for the first time since 1992 following Hurricane Andrew.
However, South Florida safety officials are still urging safety this Columbus Day weekend, as large crowds of boaters are expected to flock to the waters.
Nicolas Estrella, president of the Monica Burguera Foundation, says he and the foundation are out Saturday promoting boating safety.
20-year-old Monica Burguera died 11 years ago in a tragic boating accident during the Columbus Day Regatta weekend festivities in Miami. As a result, Monica's family decided that they wanted to get together and do some good for the community.
"Essentially we created this foundation to promote boating safety," Estrella said. "The foundation gives free courses to anyone that wants a safety boating course."
But it's not just the safety of adults officials are concerned about.
When boating with kids, it is extremely important to set and enforce basic rules and boundaries to prevent a tragic accident.
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Miami-Dade Fire Rescue released these tips on how to stay boat safe: keep hands and feet inside the boat and don’t lean over the edge, don’t run or jump in the boat, don’t swim near the propeller, stay away from the boat’s console, never dive into the water (you never know how deep the water is or what’s hiding beneath it).
