WAYNE COUNTY, Mich. – You know it doesn’t take long for a time on the water to turn into a bad one, as even a beautiful day can ultimately become tragic.
“We want boaters to have fun and be safe out there and enjoy themselves, but it’s very important that you not be intoxicated or impaired while you’re operating a boat,” said Wayne County Sheriff Raphael Washington.
Washington and other deputies with the Wayne County Sheriff’s Department will be cracking down ahead of Memorial Day weekend to ensure people’s safety in the water.
“And even while you’re riding on the boat, you wanna have a beer or something, that’s allowed,” Washington said. “But you have to be very careful that you’re not overly indulging in alcohol or beer.”
While it’s not illegal to have a drink in your hand and operate a vessel, you just can’t be intoxicated, as it can lead to some pretty dangerous accidents.
“Some of the accidents that we’ve seen have been pretty brutal where boats have flipped over,” said Monroe County Deputy Michael Roehrig. “Everybody goes into the water. The operator has passed away.”
To avoid that, it is also important to make sure everyone has a life vest, a way to communicate with people outside the craft, an engine cut-off device, and a working fire extinguisher.
“We’d just like to send the message that will be out on the water, making sure everyone has fun,” Washington said. “But we also will be checking to make sure that everyone is safe as well.”
Motor safety classes are offered in the spring and fall. If you can’t attend an in-person class, you can always attend an online one at boated.com