Hunter Bland

Hunter Bland is a National Boating Safety Ambassador and a Bassmaster Opens professional angler. He is widely known as the driver in the University of Florida Bass Team boating accident on Jan. 14, 2017 after their video went viral. This accident, however, sparked his passion for safe boating and ultimately changed his life.

In 2019, Bland was awarded the National Boating Industry Safety Award in the category “Best Marine Marketing and Outreach”, through his boating advocacy work with Yamaha Outboards. He is a member of the Life Jacket Working Group that helped draft the first ever National Water Safety Action Plan for the United States.

Bland was recently appointed by Florida’s Governor Ron DeSantis to the Boating Advisory Council. He serves as an ambassador for the National Safe Boating Council and a member of the Waves of Hope family. His goal is to continue to make the waterways a safer place by sharing his story across the country, and ultimately positively change behavior to eliminate all water related tragedies.