Risk Management Magazine

When considering the leading causes of boating fatalities, most people picture a lack of operator training, operating a vessel under the influence of alcohol or drugs, or falling overboard. While that is certainly true, there’s a lesser-known danger that can be equally lethal — carbon monoxide (CO) poisoning.

I know you’re already thinking, “Here we go with another story about a basketball injury.” To some degree, you’re right. Midway through our second game, another player undercut my jump shot, causing me to land hard on the outside toe-end of my running shoes. I crashed hard to the ground. My right ankle ballooned instantly, the pressure chipped a bone, and for the next month, my whole leg looked like a scene from a zombie movie.

Have you ever made a decision that felt insignificant, only to realize minutes later it might be the one that gets you killed? I have, and it left me with a lesson learned about the importance of risk management, personal accountability and the terrifying indifference of nature.