JASON DUNOVANT The Roanoke Times
Boaters on Smith Mountain Lake had one of their safest years in a decade, according to new data released by the Virginia Department of Wildlife Resources.
The DWR’s Recreation Boating Incident Summary listed a decade-low of nine boating incidents and zero boating fatalities for Smith Mountain Lake in 2024. That comes after 20 incidents and three boating deaths in 2023.
Between 2020 and 2023, Smith Mountain Lake had the highest number of boating incidents of any body of water in Virginia. In 2024, SML had the fourth-lowest number of incidents behind James River with 14 incidents and Lake Anna and the Chesapeake Bay tied with 13 incidents each.
1st Sgt. Kenneth Williams with the DWR couldn’t point to one specific reason for the decrease in boating incidents at Smith Mountain Lake last year. He said it may be attributed to mandatory boater education as well as additional enforcement efforts by DWR around the lake.
Williams said boat patrols by DWR officers changed slightly in 2024. He said additional patrolling was done throughout the week outside of the weekend patrols when boat traffic is at its heaviest.
The overall number of boating incidents for Virginia saw a sharp increase last year. Boating incidents rose in Virginia from a near all-time low in 2023 of 59 incidents and eight fatalities to 89 incidents and 17 fatalities in 2024.
The increase in boating incidents for 2024 puts Virginia more in line with previous years. The average number of annual boating incidents for the past decade usually varies between 79 and 110 incidents for the state and could suggest 2023 may have been an atypical year.
The DWR requires boating incidents to be reported when there is more than $2,000 in damage by or to a vessel or its equipment, injury requiring medical assistance beyond first aid, loss of life or disappearance of a person from a vessel.
Three of the leading causes of boating incidents in 2024 were collisions with fixed objects, collisions with other vessels or collisions with floating objects. They accounted for more than half of the incidents in 2024.
Williams said this can mainly be attributed to the top factor for boating incidents in 2024, which is the lack of a proper lookout. He urged boaters to stay aware when operating their craft.
“The overwhelming factor in hitting something is not looking where you are going,” Williams said.
Williams also encouraged everyone going out on a boat this year to wear a life jacket. In the 17 reported boating fatalities for 2024, only one listed the individual as wearing a personal flotation device before the incident.
“I know it can cramp some folks’ style sometimes but I’d rather your style be cramped than me having to pick you up off the bottom, so to speak,” Williams said.
Boat patrols will be ramping up in April as more people get out on Smith Mountain Lake, Williams said. He expects between eight and 10 patrols throughout the week with the highest concentration of that being on Fridays and Saturdays when boat traffic is at its highest.
Williams said the DWR will also continue its efforts to find and arrest anyone found to be operating a boat under the influence of drugs or alcohol. Multiple boating safety checkpoints are planned throughout the year to assure boat operators remain safe and sober.
“We are going to be continuing to do that practice and not just in locations where you have seen us before,” Williams said. “Were are going to be doing them all up and down the lake.”
In addition to intoxicated boaters, Williams said they will also be looking out for reckless activities by boaters or PWCs. That includes individuals riding on the bow or the gunnel of a boat, which is not allowed while the craft is underway.
Jason Dunovant (540) 981-3507