SUNSET COVE, LAKE SYDNEY LANIER – They stood shoulder to shoulder as if to emphasize their solidarity; dark storm clouds and cold northwesterly winds provided the appropriate backdrop to underscore their seriousness. The unspoken message was clear: the upcoming summer season on and around Lake Lanier would be a safe experience.
Representatives of the Georgia State Patrol, the Governor’s Office of Highway Safety, the Forsyth and Hall County Sheriff’s and Fire Departments, the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, the Georgia Department of Natural Resources and others law enforcement groups met on the shore of Lake Lanier Thursday morning to announce the kick-off to the “Summer ’17 Safety Tour”.
“As of this morning 554 people have been killed on the roads in this state,” Director of the Governor’s Office of Highway Safety Harris Blackwood said in opening remarks. “The people who are behind me are dedicated to making sure that number does not go higher.”
Agencies statewide are pulling out all the stops and removing any potential interagency barriers to make sure the traditional start of the summer season gets off to a safe start over the upcoming Memorial Day weekend.
Mark McDonough, Commissioner of Public Safety and Colonel over the Georgia State Patrol, punctuated Blackwood’s comments by stating directly: “One thing that will not be tolerated this weekend or any weekend, whether you’re in a vehicle or in a boat, is drinking and driving and being under the influence as a boater.”
“We’re going to get you off the roadway and we’re going to get you off the waterway because you’re endangering your life and the innocent lives of others,” McDonough said.
Jeff Weaver, Assistant Director of Law Enforcement for the Georgia Department of Natural Resources, said that standards would be no less stringent on the waters than on the roadways.
“It’s all-hands-on-deck for Georgia game wardens this summer; overall safety on the water is priority one,” Weaver said.
Weaver likened life vest to seat belts. “They don’t work if you don’t wear them. ‘Wear It Georgia’ is our theme. Just as seat belts save lives in vehicles, life jackets save lives out on the water.”
Over 7.5-million people visit Lake Lanier each year. Hall County Sheriff Gerald Couch said, “Those kind of numbers demand one key component: teamwork.” Couch called upon everyone visiting the lake to join the team.
According to the USACE, four lake-related fatalities have occurred on Lake Lanier so far this year; 22 people lost their lives on the resource in 2016.
