Boat safety tips ahead of Memorial Day weekend

SYRACUSE, Ind. (WNDU) - As we inch closer to the holiday weekend, officials are urging you to be safe while also having fun on the water.

Indiana Conservation Officer Matt Maher says a little preparation can go a long way.

“Be prepared before you head out. So things like making sure you have enough fuel in your boat. Making sure you have plenty of life jackets. You need one per person. Making sure all of your equipment is in good working condition,” says Maher.

He also says to drink responsibly.

“The Indiana law regarding boating while intoxicated is exactly the same as drunk driving laws. They carry the same penalties, licensed suspensions, things like that, and the limit is point zero eight,” says Maher.

Maher and his team will be patrolling all weekend.

“Every county has a certain number of officers assigned to it. We are lucky that we have four of us here in this county. So, we are able to provide a lot more coverage for the sheer fact that we have so many high-speed recreational lakes in this area,” he says.

They will be looking for violations.

“We see a lot of life jacket violations, a lot of safety issues with people not having the proper number of life jackets on board. We see a lot of dangerous boating, such as crossing the wake of another vessel and jumping the wake of another vessel,” says Maher.

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