Boating safety advocate receives local hero award

Longtime boating safety advocate Randy Stow was awarded the Golden Life Jacket Award from Sea Tow Smith Mountain Lake at a Smith Mountain Lake Water Safety Council meeting Wednesday.

The former council chairman was nominated for the award by Capt s. Rick and Nancy Ellett, co-owners of Sea Tow, for his efforts in the community promoting boating safety and life jacket use.

“Every time we show up to participate in a water safety event, Randy is there,” said Nancy Ellett. “We nominated Randy because he has been involved for a number of years in a lot of different organizations and projects to promote boating safety. He is just an all-around great guy with a great personality.”

During his time as a certified boating instructor for the Virginia Department of Game and Inland Fisheries. Stow has instructed more than 3,500 area students . He also is a certified vessel safety inspector, inspecting 40 to 50 pleasure craft each year. He is past commander of the Smith Mountain Lake Sail and Power Squadron; during his tenure, the squadron nearly doubled its size.

Stow is president of the Smith Mountain Lake Association and serves on the Tri-County Lake Administrative Commission’s Navigation Committee. The nonprofit Sea Tow Foundation launched the local hero award as part of Sea Tow’s 30th anniversary celebration.

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