The Lake Mead Safe Boating Partnership will kick-off the first day of 2006 National Safe Boating Week with its first public event - "Safe Boating Day" - on May 20th at Lake Mead's Hemenway Harbor. The many activities will include life jacket instruction (free life jackets for the first 250 attendees), at-the-water boating safety and training for personal watercraft (PWC), vessel safety checks provided by the U.S. Power Squadrons, safety demonstrations for all boats including houseboats, kayaks and canoes, and boat launching demos. Admission to Lake Mead will be free for all Safe Boating Day participants. Attendees who show proof of successful completion of any U.S. Coast Guard or National Association of State Boating Law Administrators (NASBLA) approved boating safety and take the May 20th "at-the-water mini course" will be eligible to win a brand new 2006 Sea-Doo GTI personal watercraft, a family houseboat vacation, or a Colorado River rafting trip or kayak tour.

MEDIA BOAT TOURS ON LAKE MEAD: Media will have opportunities to ride along with park officials on PWC and the patrol boats to get on-the-water footage before Memorial Day. As in the past, unless a major incident occurs, no requests for interviews will be considered Memorial Day weekend. B-Roll will also be available.

WHO:

Park Officials from Lake Mead National Recreation Area

Representatives from the California Department of Boating and Waterways, Nevada Department of Wildlife, Arizona Game and Fish Department, and the Personal Watercraft Industry Association

WHEN:

Saturday May 20, 2006

10 AM - 2:00 PM

WHERE:

Hemenway Harbor, Lake Mead (Nevada)

WHY:

National Safe Boating Week takes place May 20-26, before Memorial Day weekend, the unofficial start of the boating season. About 8-10 million people visit Lake Mead National Recreation Area each year, many from California. On a busy weekend, up to 5,000 vessels can be on the lakes

in the Recreation Area. Sadly, however, boating accidents do occur -

many of which are preventable if boaters learn how to become safer boaters. According to the U.S. Coast Guard, nearly 90 percent of those who drowned in 2004 were not wearing a lifejacket. On May 20, we will share some potentially life-saving "safe boating tips" with your audience that can help improve safety and reduce accidents on the water.