WAYNE COUNTY, Mich. – It’s officially boating season in Metro Detroit.
Wayne County Sheriff’s Office took Local 4′s Evrod Cassimy out on the open water to remind everyone of the rules so they can have a fun and safe boating season.
“We’re going to be out here as a law enforcement community to make sure that those who are boating are doing it safely. That they’re paying attention to the rules, that we are not heavy on giving tickets as much as we are going to be warning those boaters that are on the line of doing some of those things that we don’t like to see them do,” sheriff Raphael Washington said.
READ: Monroe County Sheriff’s Office to offer boater safety classes through summer
Washington wants everyone to have fun and stay safe. Wayne County has a 500 feet slow no-wake ordinance.
“The wake ordinance is because of all the high water,” Sgt. Michael Roehrig said. “The last several years we’ve had very high water. The water at this point last year was up to our knees right where we are standing. That eats away the erosion.”
Another reminder to wear your life jacket and have a throwable life jacket on board. Drinking while boating is allowed but the driver of the boat cannot be intoxicated.
“Anybody under the age of six is required by law to have a PFD (personal floatation device) on while on the open deck of a boat,” Roehrig said. “We want to make sure that everyone is doing the right thing and we will be out enforcing that in Wayne County.”
The enforcement will happen throughout the boating season, especially around the holidays.
The Wayne County Sheriff’s Office encourages everyone to take boater safety classes. For more information, you can call 313-224-2222.
Learn about boat operator age restrictions in Michigan here.