Capsize

To capsize means a boat tips over or turns upside down in the water. Small boats, canoes, kayaks and paddleboards capsize most easily, and falls overboard and capsizing are the most common causes of boating deaths in Minnesota, according to its Department of Natural Resources (opens in a new tab). Nationally, four of every five boaters who drowned in 2024 were on boats shorter than 21 feet, where length was known (U.S. Coast Guard (opens in a new tab)).

If you capsize, the Minnesota DNR advises:

• stay with the boat and try to climb back on; a boat is easier for rescuers to spot than a person;
• don't swim for shore unless it is to a nearby boat or floating object;
• keep your clothes and boots on, because they help you float;
• in a river, keep your feet pointed downstream and off the bottom, and stay upstream of the boat (MN DNR (opens in a new tab)).

To prevent it: don't overload the boat, stay seated and avoid sudden shifts in weight, approach waves head-on and watch the weather. Wear your life jacket from the start, since putting one on in the water is extremely hard. See kayak and canoe safety and falling into cold water.

What you can do today: practice getting back into your kayak or canoe in shallow, warm water with a friend nearby.