After Memorial Day Weekend kicked off boating season on Lake Lanier, the Georgia Department of Natural Resources reminded the public of several boating safety tips to stay safe all summer long.
Public Affairs Officer for the Georgia DNR Law Enforcement Division Mark McKinnon reported to AccessWDUN the department saw significantly less boating related incidents statewide compared to years prior, which he attributed to rainy weather scattered throughout the weekend.
There were only two accidents on Lake Lanier over the weekend, both of which involved personal watercraft.
The first incident, which occurred on the night of May 26, involved a collision of two jet skis near Lake Lanier Park in Gwinnett County, while the second incident on May 27 involved an individual falling off a personal watercraft and injuring their foot while climbing back into a boat. Both incidents resulted in minor injuries to those involved.
However, DNR wardens made 29 Boating Under the Influence arrests, 15 of which were on Lake Lanier.
“We don't like to see that,” McKinnon told AccessWDUN. “It just causes a danger to the public, it causes a danger to the boater who is impaired.”
As the public begins to spend more time on the water, McKinnon advises boaters to remember the importance of ensuring boats are equipped with life vests and other safety resources.
“Always have enough life jackets on the boat for everyone,” he said. “And really, if you want to be extremely safe, wear your life jacket. You know, life jackets used to be big and bulky and hot, but now, there are models of light jackets that are very comfortable and they're not hot, they're not obtrusive. There's really no good excuse not to wear those.”
McKinnon added that while adults may choose to wear life vests on boats, children under the age of 13 are required to wear a life jacket both in the water and on a boat at all times.
He also emphasized the best way to keep everyone safe on the water is to never operate watercraft while under the influence.
“Do not drive a boat while you're impaired by alcohol or drugs,” McKinnon said. “If you're going to be out there and you want to drink on your boat that is legal. However, we would recommend that you get a designated operator who is not drinking just as you would in a car…The motor skills aren't there, the judgment is not there.”
The DNR reports, 70 to 80% of boating accidents nationwide involve alcohol or drugs.
Being under the influence of prescription drugs may also inhibit one’s ability to safely operate a boat or vehicle.
Additionally, those operating personal watercraft such as a jet ski are required to wear a life jacket at all times, as well as wear a kill switch that will deactivate the equipment if the driver were to fall off.
McKinnon also noted jet ski drivers are the most common violator of the 100 foot law, which requires vehicles on the water to move at idle speed if it is within 100 feet of the shoreline.
“We find jet skis, buzzing boats, jumping the waves behind boats very closely, we find them going near docks at high speed,” McKinnon said. “That's a recipe for disaster. We see a lot of people and incidents and sometimes, we have deaths every year because of people driving jet skis in that manner.”
