Help curb boating accidents in Florida, Gov. Desantis. Sign the Lucy Law bill.
After miraculously surviving this, one of the first things I said after waking up from my medically-induced coma was, "I can make a bigger difference now than I ever could before this happened."
As a marine biologist who worked at Loggerhead Marinelife Center at the time of my accident, I frequently saw the devastating effects of boat strikes on sea turtles, not knowing that I would soon endure the same fate.
I often snorkeled off the coast of Palm Beach County, enjoying the beauty of the area's diverse marine life. On that fateful day, I was snorkeling off of the coast when a 36-foot speedboat directly hit me. The driver did not see my divers-down flag, a required safety device that was floating just a few feet away from me. GPS data from the boat recorded their speed at about 45 miles per hour at the time of impact.
I firmly believe that my faith was what saved me and that God had given me an opportunity to help others through this incident. When I heard about Lucy's Law, I knew I had to support it. The bill is comprehensive boater safety legislation named in honor of Lucy Fernandez, a Miami teenager who was killed in a tragic boating accident. She was just a few years younger than me at the time of my accident; she deserved to live a long, full, and joyful life.
The legislation, which currently awaits the governor's signature, has three main components. It requires the Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission (FWC) to establish standards for online boating safety education courses. It also aligns boating under-the-influence with driving-under-the-influence penalties and creates harsher penalties for operators who leave the scene of an accident.
Gov. DeSantis, we're counting on you to help prevent more of these life-changing accidents. I urge you to sign Lucy's Law. This legislation may not change what happened to me, but it can help protect others and potentially save lives.
Florida is the boating capital of the world. We have pristine, blue waters filled with marine life, which my career is dedicated to preserving. Every resident and visitor has the opportunity to explore all that our coastal waters have to offer. But with that opportunity comes responsibility.
According to the FWC, there were 659 boating accidents in 2023 alone and 59 of those were deadly.
Education and training saves lives. Lucy's Law will save lives.
Carter Viss founded the Carter Viss Foundation, a boating safety nonprofit based in Jupiter.
This article originally appeared on Palm Beach Post: Florida bill could improve boat safety. Desantis must sign. | Opinion
Hashtags
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
Yahoo
5 hours ago
- Yahoo
Bear advocates file legal challenge to Florida's bear hunt
Florida bear hunt opponents, unable to dissuade state wildlife commissioners last week from authorizing a sanctioned killing of the once imperiled species, are now trying their luck in court. This year's bear hunt, set for 23 days in December, would be the first in Florida since 2015 when hunters killed an unexpectedly high 304 bears in two days, forcing a shutdown that has lasted a decade. Bear Warriors United, a not-for-profit organization based in Seminole County, filed a 53-page challenge Friday with the Division of Administrative Hearings, arguing the state Fish & Wildlife Conservation Commission (FWC) failed to follow rules requiring that 'sound research, science and management techniques should prevail over politics when it comes to wildlife conservation and management.' By taking their case to an administrative law judge, the group is hoping to speed the legal process as the awarding of hunt permits looms, perhaps as soon as next month. Tallahassee attorney Thomas Crapps, providing pro bono representation of Bear Warriors United, said in the filing that the hunt 'is based on stale facts from a 2014-2015 bear population study and is directly contrary to FWC's own 2019 Bear Management Plan.' He also argued the agency's governing board violated its constitutional mission by giving FWC's executive director, rather than its appointed board, 'unbridled authority to issue permits to kill bears annually without any guidance or scientific facts.' That decision removes the public's right to be heard, Crapps argued. Crapps' co-counsel is Volusia County lawyer Raquel Levy, whose teen-age daughter, Bella Schwartz, addressed FWC commissioners last week to argue against the hunt. 'We believe conservation doesn't begin and end with a bullet,' the teen told them. Fish & Wildlife has not yet responded to the Bear Warriors complaint. Much of the debate preceding FWC's August 13 vote for a hunt centered on how much science the agency used to devise its plan for a 187-bear harvest. During the meeting's public comment period, Scott Thomas, a wildlife management biologist who identified himself as president of the North Florida chapter of Safari International, lobbied for the hunt. He said Florida's rebounding population of black bear has grown beyond the peninsula's carrying capacity, leading to rising numbers of human-bear conflicts, pet clashes and vehicle collisions. FWC estimates Florida's black bear population at about 4,000 animals with about 1,200 in Central Florida. 'There is no check on Florida's bear population and it will continue to grow unless actively managed,' Thomas said. He warned that overpopulation could lead to 'cruel deaths' of bears by starvation, disease and other means. Already about 300 bears are killed every year by vehicles while cross roadways, an FWC spokesperson said. Florida approves first bear hunt in a decade, defying a surge of opponents But an email attached to the Bear Warriors petition, dated Aug. 8 to Morgan Richardson, FWC's director of hunting and game management, took issue with that argument. It came from Clay Henderson, who served on Florida's Constitution Revision Commission in 1998 and helped draft language creating the wildlife agency. He said the proposed rules for the bear hunt 'run afoul' of the stated intent that FWC base decisions on science. 'Moving forward, FWCC is flying blind. By the state's own admission it is challenging for researchers to visually observe bears and directly count their numbers. Indeed, black bear population numbers are out of date,' his email noted. 'The last defensible numbers were developed in 2017, and the agency's bear management plan calls for the next full census report to be completed in 2029.' He said the 187 'harvest' or kill quota proposed for the December hunt rely on outdated population estimates. 'These estimates do not account for population lag after the major mortality event that was the 2015 hunt,' he wrote. FWC divides the state into seven bear management zones. It is not allowing hunting in three areas of the state that each have bear populations estimated under 200 animals. Henderson also contends in his email that the hunt 'places Florida's unique subspecies of black bear at risk of renewed population decline and irreversible ecological loss.' Wildlife commissioners approved a permit-drawing process that will be open to anyone paying a $5 entry fee. The process does not include a limit on the number of times people can enter, but people whose names are drawn will only be able to purchase a single permit. Floridians will pay $100 for permits. Non-Floridians will be limited to 10 percent of the permits, which will cost them $300. FWC has not yet announced details, but a spokesperson said an announcement could come later this week. shudak@ Solve the daily Crossword
Yahoo
a day ago
- Yahoo
30 Million People Watched My Epic Gym Fail, And I Can't Believe I Just Back Flipped Into Internet Infamy
It's kinda awkward when you become low-key internet famous for failing, but hey, what can you do? This past week, I went viral after posting my home gym workout bench fail on Instagram. I was in the process of doing a standard dumbbell bench press. I grabbed my two 60lb dumbbells, and I heard the bench creak a bit. Related: "Whatever," my stubborn Taurus self thought. And I laid back anyway, only for the bench's leg to give out. You can watch the entire video here. The comments had me rolling (as if I needed to be rolling anymore): My life was in God's hands at that point... Related: You're welcome, I guess? Watch out Simone Biles! Now you're gonna blame me when they kick you out... Wouldn't be the first time I ignored red flags... Related: I'm a pretty busy dad, so I do all my workouts at home. I have several dumbbells, ranging from 5lbs to 60lbs, kettlebells, a pull-up bar, and a workout bench. Unfortunately, I probably should have purchased a better bench... Some back story, though: I've always been super scrawny and was never able to gain weight. I know some people think that's a blessing, but it's actually a pain. I've always had pretty bad stomach issues as well, but doctors never took me seriously, just saying I was stressed or needed to try to eat more. "You're young, you'll be fine," type energy. On top of that, being super scrawny really messed with my personal body image. Guys don't talk about it much, but society definitely has a "preferred" look for men. In the same way women are bombarded with images and ads showing off how society thinks they should look (and I know it's like 10x worse for you ladies too), men are also faced with a lot of the same messaging. And it's not just Hollywood... even the dudes in razor or lawnmower commercials are handsome with big shoulders and backs or defined biceps. When's the last time the "Sexiest Man" was skinny? Even John Krasinski put on some muscle before they gave him that title. As I got older, my stomach issues got worse. Then, at 33, I was diagnosed (by a new and competent doctor) with IBD/Crohn's, which would explain my issues with gaining weight. And not much later, my doctor told me I had pre-diabetes. That is what jump-started my fitness journey. Karlton Herman / Via Instagram: @ I invested in eating better and strength training. Slowly, but surely, I started to see my body transform. It has truly changed my life in so many ways. After about a year and a half into my fitness journey, I created an Instagram page called The whole vibe of the page is: I'm a busy dad. My workouts sometimes take 3-4 hours to complete because I'm changing diapers, giving bottles, cooking breakfast, helping with the potty, etc, while I'm also working out at the same time. My forms aren't always perfect. I take long breaks in between sets to take care of my boys. But, I wanted to inspire other busy dads, letting them know that you can still see progress if you can be consistent. You didn't have to be a total gym bro... just find a way to get it done and keep consistent with it. It's all about being stronger and healthier for your kids. My page wasn't doing GREAT... I had about 3,000 followers and averaged a whopping 30 likes per post. And then... I went viral. As I started to roll backwards, I thought to myself, "Hold onto these weights or else they'll fall in some really bad position." And I just went with the flow... I felt that if I tried to fight back, I'd hurt myself more. It's funny how many thoughts you can have in .4 seconds. I did a full flip and smacked my face hard into my couch, causing a pretty heavy nosebleed. Related: Lucky(?) for me, I was recording at the moment. After getting up and plugging my nose with some tissue, I sent the recording to my fiancé... who nearly fell out laughing so hard. "You better post that," she quipped. So I figured, "Why not?" From there... things just took off. The post amassed a million views in about 24 hours. In two days, it was sitting at about 15 million views, and the post got the attention of Joey Swoll. I've been a fan of Joey's page for a while. For those who don't know him, he's one of the biggest fitness influencers in America, and at this point in his career, he mostly does reaction videos calling out toxic gym behavior and lambasting gym bullies while also defending people who get made fun of at the gym. Joey reposted my video, and offered to buy me a new bench (which is currently on the way!). I'm not really sure what to do with my newfound low-key internet infamy, but I will say this: Don't buy cheap workout equipment online. I'm very lucky and blessed that I didn't hurt myself much worse. I was working out in my garage, and if my boys were around, I could've hurt them as well. I definitely learned my lesson! However, I'm glad I could provide the internet with some laughs in these truly trying times. Also in Parents: Also in Parents: Also in Parents: Solve the daily Crossword
Buzz Feed
a day ago
- Buzz Feed
My Epic Gym Fail Went Viral, And Joey Swoll Reposted It
It's kinda awkward when you become low-key internet famous for failing, but hey, what can you do? This past week, I went viral after posting my home gym workout bench fail on Instagram. I was in the process of doing a standard dumbbell bench press. I grabbed my two 60lb dumbbells, and I heard the bench creak a bit. "Whatever," my stubborn Taurus self thought. And I laid back anyway, only for the bench's leg to give out. You can watch the entire video here. The comments had me rolling (as if I needed to be rolling anymore): My life was in God's hands at that point... You're welcome, I guess? Watch out Simone Biles! Now you're gonna blame me when they kick you out... Wouldn't be the first time I ignored red flags... I'm a pretty busy dad, so I do all my workouts at home. I have several dumbbells, ranging from 5lbs to 60lbs, kettlebells, a pull-up bar, and a workout bench. Unfortunately, I probably should have purchased a better bench... Some back story, though: I've always been super scrawny and was never able to gain weight. I know some people think that's a blessing, but it's actually a pain. As I got older, my stomach issues got worse. Then, at 33, I was diagnosed (by a new and competent doctor) with IBD/Crohn's, which would explain my issues with gaining weight. And not much later, my doctor told me I had pre-diabetes. That is what jump-started my fitness journey. I invested in eating better and strength training. Slowly, but surely, I started to see my body transform. It has truly changed my life in so many ways. After about a year and a half into my fitness journey, I created an Instagram page called The whole vibe of the page is: I'm a busy dad. My workouts sometimes take 3-4 hours to complete because I'm changing diapers, giving bottles, cooking breakfast, helping with the potty, etc, while I'm also working out at the same time. My forms aren't always perfect. I take long breaks in between sets to take care of my boys. But, I wanted to inspire other busy dads, letting them know that you can still see progress if you can be consistent. You didn't have to be a total gym bro... just find a way to get it done and keep consistent with it. It's all about being stronger and healthier for your kids. My page wasn't doing GREAT... I had about 3,000 followers and averaged a whopping 30 likes per post. And then... I went viral. As I started to roll backwards, I thought to myself, "Hold onto these weights or else they'll fall in some really bad position." And I just went with the flow... I felt that if I tried to fight back, I'd hurt myself more. It's funny how many thoughts you can have in .4 seconds. I did a full flip and smacked my face hard into my couch, causing a pretty heavy nosebleed. Lucky(?) for me, I was recording at the moment. After getting up and plugging my nose with some tissue, I sent the recording to my fiancé... who nearly fell out laughing so hard. "You better post that," she quipped. So I figured, "Why not?" From there... things just took off. The post amassed a million views in about 24 hours. In two days, it was sitting at about 15 million views, and the post got the attention of Joey Swoll. I've been a fan of Joey's page for a while. For those who don't know him, he's one of the biggest fitness influencers in America, and at this point in his career, he mostly does reaction videos calling out toxic gym behavior and lambasting gym bullies while also defending people who get made fun of at the gym. Joey reposted my video, and offered to buy me a new bench (which is currently on the way!). I'm not really sure what to do with my newfound low-key internet infamy, but I will say this: Don't buy cheap workout equipment online. I'm very lucky and blessed that I didn't hurt myself much worse. I was working out in my garage, and if my boys were around, I could've hurt them as well. I definitely learned my lesson! However, I'm glad I could provide the internet with some laughs in these truly trying times.
