A law inspired by teens lost at sea has gone into effect during the busy holiday weekend - an especially popular time for boaters.

  • New EPIRB law went into effect Friday
  • Bill inspired by loss of teen boaters last year in Atlantic
  • Law lowers registration fees for boaters with EPIRB

Florida House Bill CS-CS-HB 427 was approved by Gov. Rick Scott in March and went into effect Friday.

Better known as the EPIRB law, the legislation reduces registration fees for vessels equipped with an emergency position indicating radio beacon (EPIRB).

The legislation came about after Austin Stephanos and Perry Cohen disappeared in the Atlantic Ocean in their 19-foot boat out of Jupiter Inlet in July 2015. A Coast Guard search proved futile and the boys, both 14, were never found.

The size of a child's sippy cup, an EPIRB device acts as a GPS for the coast guard in case of an emergency.

"The EPIRB is the most important tool you can have to take the search out of search and rescue for us," said U.S. Coastguard spokesperson Michael De Nyse. "That's how we can find you, that's your positioning of distress that we can pinpoint."

The importance of an EPIRB was highlighted again last month as the Kimberly family, dad Ace and his two sons aged 14 and 15, and 17-year-old daughter, went missing in their sailboat in a storm off Englewood in the Gulf of Mexico. The bodies of Ace and daughter Rebecca were later found in the gulf.

The bodies of Donnie, 15, and Roger, 14, were never found.

The new legislation was created to make boaters have a plan in place before heading out to sea. The new law does not mean every boater is obligated to have one these locater devices, just an incentive to prevent any further tragedies.

" I have a Garmin on (his boat) that tells me plots and where I’m at," said Manatee County boater Andrew Looper, who said he didn't have an EPIRB. "If that fails I’m kind of screwed."

According to the legislation an EPRIB costs around $800, but officials say you can't put a price on a life.

"(It's) the one tool we recommend everyone has on their vessel," said De Nyse.