Southeast Texas is a true boaters paradise. Any Southeast Texas senior is only minutes from a boat ramp.

The Golden Triangle boasts two of the nations finest bass lakes: Lake Sam Rayburn, and Toledo Bend.

Southeast Texas is home to one of the nation’s top ten canoeing and kayaking waterways, Village Creek.

Our Saltwater fishing is widely acknowledged as among the world’s best, particularly for trout, redfish, and flounder where Sabine Lake is king.

Many Southeast Texas seniors have invested their hard earned money in boats of all kinds from hand crafted wooden canoes and kayaks to center console flats boats and even luxury sailing and motor yachts.

Among the most tragic and preventable boating accidents are those in which a boat strikes a power line. Certain conditions (such as humidity and close proximity) will increase the probability of voltage seeking a ground.

Entergy Texas is committed to Beaumont Senior Safety. Today, they are providing information for Beaumont senior boaters.

Launching your boat…

Look up to check for any overhead wires between your boat and the launching ramp before you even get near it. Make certain that you will not be raising the mast or antenna too close to the power line.

Traversing the water…

High-voltage lines may cross reservoirs and other boating areas. If the tip of the mast or antenna should come close to or contact one of these lines, the electrical current may find a path to your boat and/or family members on-board. It is the boater’s responsibility to remain a safe distance away from the power lines and to know the distance between the boat’s waterline and the masthead. It is also imperative to know the height of the waterways at all times of the day in comparison to the height of the line, which is somewhat constant, but can change due to heat, humidity, or electrical load.

After a storm…

Watch out for downed or sagging lines following a storm or high wind condition. Look for potential hazards. Please report any potentially hazardous conditions to 1-800-ENTERGY.

If contact is made with a power line…

Should your boat come in contact with a power line, DO NOT jump into the water. The electrical charge could pass through the boat and ground into the waterway. The safest approach is to stay in the boat and avoid touching anything metal in nature. Leave the boat only after the boat has sufficiently moved away from the line.

Entergy Texas regularly provides Beaumont senior safety tips here on SETXseniors.com as part of their commitment to senior safety.