Emergency Radio Procedures
- Cell Phone
It’s always a good idea to have your cell phone on board your boat. In an emergency, call 911. You will need to be able to describe where you are (the numbered buoys are a good starting point) and your boat identification number and description. Here are the numbers for other potential contacts. - Important Emergency Numbers
- Brunswick – (434) 848-3133 or (800) 8484-3199;
- Mecklenburg – (434) 738-6171.
- Halifax – (252) 583-8521;
- Northampton – (252) 534-2611;
- Warren – (252) 257-3364
- NC Dept of Water Quality: (919) 791-4200 – Weekends & Emergencies call (800) 858-0368
- Brunswick Co: Department of Environmental Quality (804) 527-5042 or 527-5173
- Mecklenburg Co: Department of Environmental Quality (434) 582-6233 / 6236
- VHF Radio
Many boats have a maritime VHF radio on board. Use channel 16 for emergency communications. It is the recommended way to initiate emergency communication with U.S. Coast Guard, NC Wildlife Commission, VA Department of Game and Inland Fisheries, county law enforcement and Lake Gaston Water Safety Council equipped monitoring stations on the lake.
Boat Dock Safety
The Lake Gaston Water Safety Council has prepared valuable resource information regarding safety issues around your boat dock. Included is information on boat cleats, hand rails, inspecting boat lifts and issues involving electricity and irrigation pumps.
