Article: busy waters: Ever-growing number of Bay County boaters means increasing chances of accidents on the water.

Byline: David Angier

Sep. 10--The Sunday before Labor Day, parking at the Panama City Marina's boat ramp had overflowed onto the streets and adjoining parking lots.

Lynn Haven's Porter Park was equally crowded.

But while the bay was busy, it was Deer Point Lake that saw the most trouble. Three serious boat crashes -- one with severe injuries -- happened on the lake during and shortly before that weekend.

A part of the problem, officers said, was the sheer number of vessels on the water.

According to state statistics, Bay County had more than 20,500 registered boats in 2005, a number that has grown steadily over the years. In ...

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