When Doug and Krissy Taylor, of North Canton, lost their 7-year-old son to carbon monoxide poisoning in 2019, it was the first they had heard that such a death could take place on a boat.

Doug is a firefighter and lifelong boater. He thought he was well versed in boating safety.

Now, the Taylors are turning their painful lesson into a chance to help others.

Youngsters in Doug’s family had been dangling their feet in the water in no wake zones for as long as he could remember. He and his wife believed that was what the seats in that part of the boat were for.

But safety officials told the pair their son was dead of carbon monoxide poisoning before he ever hit the water when they lost him that day.

In the Taylors’ mid-engine, open boat, going at a slow speed creates a toxic vacuum of carbon monoxide fumes from the exhaust trapped right under the back deck where their son had been sitting. Carbon monoxide affects children’s bodies more quickly than adults.

“The proper way is for everybody to sit in the front of the boat,” Doug said. “Even the open air boats can be very dangerous to small children.”

It is just one of the many safety measures parents must consider when enjoying a day on the water. They must keep this and many other things in mind.

In addition to guarding against such a tragic exposure to carbon monoxide, ensure children aboard boats are wearing life jackets and sunscreen. Dangers lurk above and below the water’s surface.