The Boater Safety Summit, hosted by the Lucy Fernandez Foundation at Ocean Reef Club in Key Largo, Florida, is a multi-day gathering that brings together boating families, enthusiasts, and industry leaders for a powerful and purposeful experience dedicated to saving lives and making our waterways safer for all.

Featuring a robust and evolving itinerary, the Summit offers hands-on training, classroom education, in-water demonstrations, interactive workshops, keynote lectures, and opportunities to connect with others who care deeply about boating safety. The Summit is designed to engage participants of all experience levels. Whether you're a seasoned captain or new to boating, there are meaningful learning opportunities tailored just for you and your family.

Born from unimaginable loss, the Lucy Fernandez Foundation has transformed pain into purpose. This event is more than a weekend—it’s a living tribute to Lucy’s legacy and a step toward a safer future. Together, we’ll learn, connect, and build a stronger, more informed boating community—one anchored in love, responsibility, and respect for the water.

Let’s work together to keep our waters a sanctuary for joy, adventure, and lasting memories. Join us next time and be part of a growing movement for safety, connection, and purpose.

A look back at the 2025 Summit Lineup. We thank our Summit partners, instructors, attendees, and event staff for a wonderful weekend.

Captain Pete Liasheck of the USCG Auxiliary, Ocean Reef Flotilla, leading last summer's Boating Emergencies Workshop, delivering invaluable insights for handling water-related emergencies. From mastering VHF radio techniques to hands-on flare demonstrations, Captain Pete equipped attendees with the knowledge needed to stay prepared. Remember, you never know when you’ll be called upon to be suddenly in command—safety starts here!

Safety First with the USCG Auxiliary

Join the USCG Auxiliary for a comprehensive boating safety workshop designed to prepare you for emergency situations on the water. Topics will cover using a VHF radio on Channel 16 to call for help and explain why it is preferred over cell phones, as well as the types and uses of flares, life jacket requirements, and essential emergency gear for a ditch bag. The importance of EPIRBs will also be discussed, particularly for offshore or international trips.

The session includes hands-on demonstrations to help participants gain practical knowledge and confidence. Attendees will learn about flares, how to properly use handheld VHF radios with DSC capability, and how to equip inflatable life jackets with personal EPIRBs and strobes.

Additionally, participants will discover navigation, weather, and radar apps to enhance boating safety and improve trip planning. Complimentary vessel safety checks will also be offered, and details will be provided on how to ensure your boat is fully prepared for any situation on the water.

From channel markers to safety features, Marine Max’s 'Bow to Stern' session covered it all! Participants gained essential boating knowledge with hands-on boat tours, safety insights, and practical skills to navigate the waters safely and confidently.

Bow to Stern and more...

This engaging workshop is designed to enhance boating safety and skills through a variety of interactive sessions. Participants will start with Boating 101, covering essential topics such as channel markers, navigational rules, and safe passing techniques, providing a strong foundation for safe and confident boating. In the Electronics & Technology session, attendees will learn how to use marine electronics to improve situational awareness and simplify safety practices, gaining valuable insights into the role of technology in safe boating.

The Bow to Stern session offers a hands-on boat tour, where participants will explore safety features, proper terminology, and key boating do’s and don’ts, ensuring a comprehensive understanding of boat operations. The workshop also includes complimentary life jacket fittings to help ensure all attendees are equipped with properly sized and effective safety gear. This workshop is a valuable opportunity to gain practical knowledge and skills for safer, more enjoyable boating experiences.

Hands-on life-saving skills in action! LifeBeat CPR taught participants how to respond effectively in emergencies, including compression-only CPR, stopping severe bleeding, and other vital First Aid techniques. Learning to save lives—one step at a time.

Learn. Act. Save Lives.

This dynamic and informative session provides participants with essential life-saving skills to respond effectively during cardiac arrest or First Aid emergencies. The training will cover compression-only CPR techniques for adults, children, and infants, ensuring attendees gain a clear understanding of how to perform chest compressions correctly. Participants will also learn critical First Aid skills, including stopping severe bleeding with a tourniquet, properly splinting fractures and dislocations to prevent further injury, and performing abdominal thrusts (Heimlich maneuver) to assist someone choking.

The session will include hands-on practice and adhere to high standards set by leading health and safety organizations. Attendees will leave equipped with reliable, up-to-date knowledge and techniques to confidently act in life-threatening situations, empowering them to make a difference when it matters most.

Capt. Harley, of How To Boating, leading the Jr. CREW CAMP! Young boaters learned the essentials of being responsible captains AND safe passengers through fun, hands-on activities designed just for them. Building a new generation of water-smart boaters!

How to Be A Good Passenger.

Being a responsible passenger is essential to ensuring safety and enjoyment on the water. This engaging workshop is designed for young participants, ages 8-12 years old, to develop real-world skills for being safe and mindful passengers on a boat. The curriculum focuses on being a good passenger, emphasizing safe behaviors, understanding responsibilities, and fostering awareness while still having fun.

This program aims to inspire a lifelong commitment to safe and responsible boating by equipping the next generation with these essential skills, regardless of age or experience level.

Thank you to Ocean Reef Club

We are deeply grateful to Ocean Reef Club for graciously hosting the Lucy Fernandez Foundation Boater Safety Summit for the past two years. Their unwavering hospitality, generosity, and shared commitment to safety on the water have created an extraordinary setting for meaningful dialogue, education, and collaboration. Ocean Reef Club’s partnership has been instrumental in bringing together families, advocates, and industry leaders to advance our mission of safer waterways and lasting impact.

Just before sunset on September 4, 2022, during Labor Day Weekend, after a perfect day on the water, a vessel carrying 14 passengers, including two adults and 12 teenagers—our daughter Lucy among them—violently struck a navigation demarcation post. Our beloved daughter’s injuries from the accident were fatal, and Lucy passed away less than twelve hours later.

Much like her name, Lucy was a ray of light. Known for her wisdom, kindness, self-discipline, and witty sense of humor, she knew how to make everyone feel seen and important. She was a unifier, a loyal friend who brought people together.

Lucy grew up on boats and around the water. Like so many families raising children in the Keys, South Florida, and beyond, water is a way of life—a passion instilled in them since birth, just as it was for Lucy. Andy, a lifelong boater, and Meli, his savvy first mate, made sure Lucy learned everything she could about boating. As a little girl, they taught her proper boat etiquette, where to sit, the do’s and don’ts, and as she grew older, the importance of understanding the “rules of the road.” They enrolled her in a young anglers summer camp where she honed her recreational boating skills, which proved invaluable as she became more proficient each year. Above all, she learned to respect the potential dangers of the ocean and understood the responsibility that came with the privilege of handling a boat.

The Lucy Fernandez Foundation, born from an unimaginable tragedy, is unwavering in its commitment to promoting boater safety through our Fly High, Bird initiative. By cultivating a culture of accountability centered on awareness, safety, education, and enjoyment on the water—one that includes enhanced legislation, stricter enforcement, and a collaborative, comprehensive approach with our community, leaders, and lawmakers—we aim to effect meaningful and long-lasting change in Lucy’s honor. Together, we can save lives and preserve the beautiful way of life she loved so much.