Water Safety in Arkansas

The single most useful thing you can do on Arkansas water is put on a life jacket and keep it on. In 2024, the Arkansas Game and Fish Commission found that only 1 of the 9 people who died in boating accidents was wearing one, and the state's drowning rate is among the highest on CDC's map.

Arkansas law already requires children 12 and younger to wear a life jacket the entire time they are on the water. Adults are safest following the same rule.

Arkansas drowning and boating numbers

1.88 per 100,000

• Drowning: CDC puts Arkansas's average annual drowning death rate for 2018-2021 at 1.88 per 100,000 people (opens in a new tab), in the highest of its four map bands.
• Boating, federal count: The U.S. Coast Guard counted 56 reportable recreational boating incidents in Arkansas in 2024, with 9 deaths and 25 injuries (opens in a new tab). Deaths by year: 13 in 2020, 11 in 2021, 15 in 2022, 9 in 2023 and 9 in 2024.
• Boating, state report: The AGFC's 2024 year-end report found that only 20 percent of the 207 individuals involved in boating accidents were wearing a life jacket, and only one of the nine victims involved in boating fatalities (opens in a new tab).

CDC counts drowning deaths of Arkansas residents. The Coast Guard and the AGFC count boating incidents. They measure different things. More data is on our Arkansas data page.

What Arkansas boating accidents show

The AGFC's Boating Law Administrator says drownings account for the majority of fatalities every year on Arkansas waters (opens in a new tab), and that in many cases life jackets were on board but not worn. The AGFC's point about swimmers is worth repeating: falling in unexpectedly, fully clothed and maybe hurt, is very different from swimming in a pool.

The same report found:

• Inattention was the number one primary cause of boating accidents in 2024, and phone use on the water is a growing cause.
• Training: only 34 percent of operators in accidents had taken any boating safety course.
• Inexperience, unseen hazards, and alcohol or drug use also played a role.

Phones down, eyes up, and a sober driver. See boating under the influence for why alcohol and boats don't mix.

Arkansas life jacket and boating rules

From the AGFC:

• Every boat must carry at least one properly fitting Coast Guard-approved life jacket for each person on board.
• Children 12 and younger must wear a properly fitting life jacket the entire time they are on the water (opens in a new tab). The only exception is a houseboat or pontoon boat with adequate handrails that is not underway.
• Boater education: anyone born on or after Jan. 1, 1986 (opens in a new tab), and of legal age to operate a motorboat, must pass an AGFC-approved course and carry proof on the water. Course options are on the AGFC boater education page (opens in a new tab).

This is a summary, not legal advice. Check the AGFC before you go.

Floating Arkansas rivers

At Buffalo National River, the National Park Service warns that the river level rises and falls (opens in a new tab), and that after rain, high fast water carries debris and gives you less time to react. Its other river lessons apply on any Arkansas stream:

• When the river is clear, shallow water may look deep (opens in a new tab). Muddy water or glare can hide rocks. Don't dive from cliffs.
• Cold water and air can bring on hypothermia quickly if you get wet, so pack dry clothes.
• Swim with a buddy and wear your life jacket. The park runs a life jacket loaner program.
• Leave your trip plan with someone at home. As the park puts it, rescue is not a certainty (opens in a new tab).

Before your next float, read river safety and kayak and canoe safety.

Official Arkansas resources

• AGFC boater education (opens in a new tab)
• AGFC 2024 boating accident report summary (opens in a new tab)
• Buffalo National River safety (NPS) (opens in a new tab)

What you can do today

• Count life jackets against the number of people in your boat, and check each one fits.
• Make a family rule: kids wear life jackets the whole time on the water, and adults set the example.
• Book an AGFC boater education course for anyone born in 1986 or later who will drive.
• Check river levels before a float, and skip the trip if the water is high and fast.
• Learn reach or throw, don't go so you can help without going in.