Montana Fish, Wildlife and Parks (FWP) officials say boating accidents occur more frequently than what the statistics indicate. Wardens believe that the 20 to 40 boating accidents reported each year represent only about 10 percent of all reportable boating accidents in Montana. The 20 to 40 reported accidents include motorized, non-motorized and personal water craft (jet skis) accidents.

A boating accident must be reported if it involves the death or disappearance of someone, injury requiring first aid, or property damage of $100 or more. According to FWP officials there have been 47 boating fatalities in the past seven years. About 60 percent of the fatalities involve men.

By far the most common types of boating accidents that occur in Montana are collision with another vessel, capsizing, collision with fixed or floating objects and falling overboard.

Contributing factors to boating accidents include operator inattention, operator inexperience, hazardous water and excessive speed. Alcohol was involved in 12 of the accidents.

The most important thing you can do when you are in a boat is wear a personal flotation device or life jacket. Of the 47 fatalities in the past seven years, 27 were not wearing life jackets; many of these tragedies may have been prevented.

Motorcycle deaths are approaching a 20-year high in Montana this year. Through the second week of September, 26 motorcycle riders have been killed in different incidents throughout the state. That is a 37 percent increase over the 18 deaths reported during that same period last year, and the highest numbers of deaths since 34 motorcyclists were killed in 1985, the state Department of Transportation's Highway Traffic Safety Office said.

Between 1997 and 2004, motorcycle registrations in Montana nearly doubled, increasing from 17,978 to 34,433. The total number of wrecks involving riders rose from 307 in 1997 to 400 in 2004.

Nationwide, motorcycle rider deaths increased for the seventh year in a row, according to an annual study by the National Traffic Safety Administration.

Although the rising fatality levels are a concern, Highway Patrol officers say they continue to rely on traditional means to try to curb rider deaths, focusing on keeping troopers visible to help reduce speed and recklessness among motorcyclists. The state also helps support a motorcycle safety program to help fight inexperience.

The six year old is from South Jordan, Utah. The boy, his parents, and two older siblings had entered the park earlier in the day, and set up camp at Madison Campground, and then traveled to the Old Faithful area.

The family had just watched an eruption of Grand Geyser around 6:00 p.m. The boy was playing and walking along on the wet boardwalk when he slipped and fell into hot water runoff from the nearby West Triplet Geyser, which had also recently erupted.

He was pulled out of the water after suffering burns to his arms and legs. A park ranger was nearby and summoned the Old Faithful Rangers who responded to the scene with an ambulance and paramedic support. The boy was taken to the Old Faithful Clinic and then later transported by ambulance to the West Yellowstone, Montana airport and flown by air ambulance to the Burn Center at the University of Utah Hospital in Salt Lake City.

Billings Police Lieutenant Mark Cady stated that the train was slowly moving two cars across 29th Street when a male transient walked into the side of the train. Cady confirmed the railroad crossing arms were down when the man walked into a ladder of the train's last car.

The man suffered only minor injuries when he was knocked to the ground. He was taken to St. Vincent Healthcare with an open head wound and a sore arm.

Cady said the train workers saw the man coming and tried to get him to stop, but the transient did not obey their warnings. Lt.Cady states that alcohol was a factor.