This holiday weekend, waterways will be filled with boaters and law enforcement will be working overtime to keep you safe.
At any time, law enforcement officers can stop your boat.
“We're looking for people that are drinking and operating vessels,” explained Sgt. Grant Henderson, with the Palm Beach County Sheriff's Office marine unit. “We're looking for underage drinking out on the island, on the sandbar.”
“Any sort of unsafe operation as far as going too fast in manatee zones or slow speed zones,” added Tyson Matthews, with the Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission.
Officers with Florida Fish and Wildlife, U.S. Fish and Wildlife, the Palm Beach County Sheriff’s Office, Riviera Beach Police, the Power Squadron and the U.S. Coast Guard gathered at Phil Foster Park with this message Friday: wear a life jacket.
“It's up to the individual boater how important is it for you and your family to see each other at the end of the day,” explained Capt. Tom Ship, with FWC.
Capt. Ship showed two types of life jackets: a suspender-style life jacket and one that sits on your waist.
Keeping a life jacket on is so important because 60 percent of fatalities last year in Florida were due to drowning.
“The worst thing that would have happened to those people had they been wearing a life jacket, they would have gotten wet that day.” Explained Capt. Ship.
Another important tip is to take a safe boating course. Palm Beach Power Squadron Commander Richard Wood and his team want you to be prepared if disaster strikes.
“To know what to do to prevent an accident and then know what to do when an accident happens,” said Commander Wood.
You can take a safe boating course with the Palm Beach Power Squadron the first weekend of every month. The cost is $30.
Keep in mind: anyone born after January 1, 1988, is required to do so.
For more information call Course Chairman Bill Eldridge: 561-254-5609
Law enforcement says every incident and death on our waterways is preventable.