ATLANTIC BEACH, N.C. — The Coast Guard hosted a 5K run through the Fort Macon State Park and Coast Guard base here Saturday, to raise awareness of safe boating and the importance of wearing a life jacket while on the water.

In 2011, the Coast Guard recorded 4,588 recreational boating accidents that involved 758 deaths, 3,081 injuries and approximately $52 million dollars of damage to property.

"The main purpose of the event is to promote boating safety," said Lt. Grant Thomas, the event coordinator and commanding officer of the Coast Guard Cutter Block Island. "Having people run in life jackets was something we were doing to push the safe boating side of things. I'd say about 30 to 40 runners were wearing life jackets, definitely a success there."

The run began with the firing of a cannon at the state park, where participants followed a path through the Coast Guard base marked with life jackets around cones and even a trailered small boat to point runners toward the next leg of the race.

Personnel from the Coast Guard Cutter Block Island, Coast Guard Sector Field Office North Carolina, Coast Guard Sector North Carolina, Coast Guard Cutter Staten Island, Coast Guard Cutter Smilax, Aids to Navigation Team Fort Macon, Coast Guard Station Fort Macon, the Coast Guard Auxiliary, the Atlantic Beach Police Department and the Fort Macon State Park assisted in coordinating the event.

A Coast Guard HC-130 Hercules aircrew from Coast Guard Air Station Elizabeth City in Elizabeth City conducted a flyby before the start of the race.



ATLANTIC BEACH, N.C. — The Coast Guard hosted a 5K run through the Fort Macon State Park and Coast Guard base here Saturday, to raise awareness of safe boating and the importance of wearing a life jacket while on the water.

In 2011, the Coast Guard recorded 4,588 recreational boating accidents that involved 758 deaths, 3,081 injuries and approximately $52 million dollars of damage to property.

"The main purpose of the event is to promote boating safety," said Lt. Grant Thomas, the event coordinator and commanding officer of the Coast Guard Cutter Block Island. "Having people run in life jackets was something we were doing to push the safe boating side of things. I'd say about 30 to 40 runners were wearing life jackets, definitely a success there."

The run began with the firing of a cannon at the state park, where participants followed a path through the Coast Guard base marked with life jackets around cones and even a trailered small boat to point runners toward the next leg of the race.

Personnel from the Coast Guard Cutter Block Island, Coast Guard Sector Field Office North Carolina, Coast Guard Sector North Carolina, Coast Guard Cutter Staten Island, Coast Guard Cutter Smilax, Aids to Navigation Team Fort Macon, Coast Guard Station Fort Macon, the Coast Guard Auxiliary, the Atlantic Beach Police Department and the Fort Macon State Park assisted in coordinating the event.

A Coast Guard HC-130 Hercules aircrew from Coast Guard Air Station Elizabeth City in Elizabeth City conducted a flyby before the start of the race.



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