Maryland Could Have Deadliest Summer On The Water
ANNAPOLIS, Md. (WJZ) -- Several deaths have already been reported on Maryland's waterways and there's still a lot of summer left.
Just last week, an Army veteran and double amputee dyring after falling off his paddleboard in the Chesapeake Bay. It was just one of the several incidents police responded to after what's been a rough few days on the water.
RELATED: Army Veteran Drowns While Paddleboating In Chesapeake Bay
Twenty five-year-old Cody Iorns was wearing an inflatable life jacket but it never worked.
Police are now warning those heading out on the water for the Fourth of July holiday.
"We're on pace for one of the deadliest years boating wise in Maryland," said Capt. Brian Rathgeb, of Maryland Natural Resources Police.
Last Wednesday marked a nasty day on the water with choppy conditions.
Iorns was with a group of paddle boaters when he had some sort of medical issue and fell into the water.
Despite wearing a life jacket and CPR from his friends, Iorns was later pronounced dead.
"He was wearing an inflatable life jacket but his inflatable life jacket did not inflate," Rathgeb said.
A double amputee and army veteran - the 25-year-old lost his arms in a motorcycle accident but was still a competitive paddle boarder
Forty one-year-old Kevin Yates fell off a vessel and into the water near Kent Narrows last week, but after days of searching for him, the Coast Guard suspended the search Friday.
RELATED: Coast Guard Suspends Search For Man Who Went Overboard In Bay
Over the weekend, a boat capsized near the Bay Bridge, but the passengers survived and there was another collision Saturday during a fireworks display but no one was seriously injured.
MORE: 4 Injured In Boat Collision Near North Beach
With the holiday falling the middle of the week, police said they're treating it as a 10-day weekend -- with all hands on deck and a warning for those heading out.
"Life jackets, wear your life jackets, make sure your life jackets work (butt 10:20) You can't put a price on safety when you go out on the water," Rathgeb added.
Maryland is already at 10 boating fatalities with one person missing for the year so far. That's more than all of last year, which saw nine fatalities on the water.
2015 was the deadliest year for boating related fatalities in Maryland with 21. Police said we're on pace to break that record this year.
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