Family Support Network - National Association of State Boating Law Administrators

Family Support Network

Community

The NASBLA Family Support Network is a resource for families of victims of boating accidents, as well as for marine enforcement officers who are dealing with the families of victims. Many families have become advocates for boating and water safety on every front. Listed below are foundations and advocacy groups, founded by families, parents and friends who have been touched in a very personal way by tragedy. They work tirelessly to prevent future tragedies, and stand ready to serve as a resource for those whose lives are changed forever by boating and water-related accidents.

Access the Family Support Network Discussion Page a place where families, friends, officers and others can offer support, resources, information and networking.

To list your support/advocacy group, contact Tom Hayward.

	The Aaron Foundation On July 14, 1996, 13-year-old Aaron Steely was killed on Boyd Lake in Colorado when the personal watercraft he was driving collided with a 19-foot ski boat. Aaron was experienced, had taken safety classes and had all appropriate safety equipment aboard his watercraft. Through the Aaron Foundation, the Steely family honors his memory working for safety, education and awareness on the waters of Colorado and the United States.
	The Britteny Sage Lindt Fund Britteny Sage Lindt was tragically killed on August 18, 2006, while tubing in Texas. The man who ran over her with his boat had been drinking all day and served no prison time because of gaps in boating safety laws. Two days after her death, Britteny’s parents founded the Britteny Sage Lindt Fund, a 501(c)(3) nonprofit, to address and change the inadequate water safety laws on the inland lakes of Texas. The mission of the Britteny Sage Lindt Fund is to save lives, so that other families do not have to endure the devastation that the Lindts experienced.
	Carbon Monoxide Action Group The Carbon Monoxide Action Group ios a nonprofit organization principally driven by families of boat carbon monoxide poisoning victims. The group is dedicated first to supporting new and existing victims' families. Second, the group works to prevent these losses to other families. To accomplish their prevention objectives, the Carbon Monoxide Action group coordinates a consumer awareness campaign and a campaign to reduce the risk of CO in marine products, which focuses on improving technology and design in boat manufacturing. The Carbon Monoxide Action Group is facilitated and supported by those interested in and able to support the mission with their time, expertise and/or financial resources.
	Coalition of Parents and Families for Personal Watercraft Safety Deborah Boles was killed in a personal watercraft accident on July 4, 1998, when she was just 16 years old. Her parents, Ed and Nita Boles, helped to found the Coalition of Parents and Families for Personal Watercraft Safety. The Coalition focuses its advocacy efforts on three main issues: increased education and awareness regarding personal watercraft; increased safety through legislation requiring certification of personal watercraft operators; and advocating for manufacturing compliance with NTSB recommendations regarding personal watercraft.
	Double Angel Foundation Double Angel Foundation was formed in 2000 after two young boys, Dillon and Logan Dixey, drowned in Lake Powell after being exposed to carbon monoxide while swimming off the back of a houseboat. The mission of the Foundation, located near Denver, Colorado, is to increase awareness of the dangers of carbon monoxide in the marine environment, and annually updates a national case listing of CO related incidents. The nonprofit organization also built and continues to operate a baseball park in memory of the baseball-loving Dixey boys.
	Drowning Support Network The Drowning Support Network (DSN) offers peer support to those who have lost loved ones in drownings or other aquatic accidents, including when no physical remains have been recovered, or the recovery process has been lengthy and difficult. Water rescue/recovery personnel are also welcome to participate. DSN Advocacy DSN Advocacy is a companion group for the Drowning Support Network (DSN). DSN Advocacy is working to ensure that water rescue and recovery operations are well managed, funded, supported and politically mandated. We promote drowning prevention programs, water rescue training for emergency responders worldwide, standards for recovery operations that will reduce the burden on grieving families, and we lobby for change in the way that water-related emergencies are managed.
	F.L.O.A.T. The support portal, F.L.O.A.T. (Friends and Loved Ones of Aquatic Tragedy) is headed by Wanda Butts who lost her son Joshua to drowning on August 6, 2006. F.L.O.A.T. serves as a memorial for those who have passed and as a support network for their family and friends.
	The Josh Project Founded by Wanda J. Butts, who lost her 16-year-old son John-Joshua Butts to drowning on August 6, 2006, The Josh Project is devoted to teaching inner-city children swimming and water safety at no cost. The Josh Project believes thst swimming is a life skill that is often neglected in inner-city and under-served community. Our motto is: The Josh Project Will Save Lives!
	Lieneck Family Website This site is dedicated to the memory of 11-year-old Brianna Lieneck, who died in a boating accident off the shores of Bay Shores Marina, NY, on August 17, 2005. Brianna’s family is working tirelessly with legislators, including Representative Steve Israel (NY) and Senator Charles Schumer (NY) to enact national boating safety legislation.
	PWC Conflict Resolution Visit our site for case studies and information from around the U.S. about mitigating and managing crowded public waterways, including issues related to personal watercraft. Developed by the United States Power Squadrons and Kawasaki Motors Corp., information on our site provides helpful ways for public officials, property owners and boaters to keep public waterways safe and enjoyable for all boaters.
	RescueVoices.com RescueVoices.com is an effort to recognize water rescuers who dedicate their expertise and generosity to helping others. Created by Deniece Watkins Smith, the site promotes the heroism of these water rescuers in the hope of raising the safety awareness of all boaters.
	SPIN (Stop Propeller Injuries Now) Founded in 1995 by the mother of Emilio Cruz, who lost her only son - a top engineering student - to the blades of a propeller, SPIN works to Stop propeller strikes, Provide support for survivors of propeller injuries, Inform and educate policy makers, legislators and regulatory agencies, and Network with victims and their families to enhance boating safety. SPIN actively promotes boating safety issues, specifically the need to protect the public from accidents, fatalities and injuries resulting from exposed propellers.
	Tyler Scott Goldberg Foundation The Tyler Scott Goldberg Foundation seeks to prevent children from suffering injuries arising from personal watercraft and ease the suffering of those whose lives are impacted by the types of traumatic injuries associated with personal watercraft accidents. The foundation is named for Tyler Scott Goldberg, who died on April 1, 2007, at the age of 14 after suffering massive injuries after the personal watercraft he was operatingcrashed into a dock in Sunrise, Florida.

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