(WWJ) – Memorial Day weekend marks the unofficial start of the summer season in Michigan, and many Metro Detroiters will be hitting the water this weekend to celebrate.
While there’s plenty of fun to be had for boaters, the Oakland County Sheriff’s Office says their marine deputies will be out in full force making sure everyone is being safe and following the law – especially when it comes to drinking alcohol on the water.
With 450 navigable lakes and over 83,000 registered boats – the most of any county in Michigan – Oakland County is a hot spot for water sports. But Sheriff Mike Bouchard says there are several keys to keeping those waters safe, including one big one:
“No matter whether you’re behind the wheel of a car or operating a boat, don’t drink alcohol and drive,” Bouchard said. “There is only a downside for taking this kind of risk. Protect yourself, your family and your friends.”
While he says additional patrols will be on the lakes watching for impaired boaters, Bouchard did offer some tips to have a safe first weekend of the summer boating season.
Being on the lake often goes hand-in-hand with having a drink in your hand, but the sheriff says it’s dangerous.
“You know, the statistics are against you if you do that. The amount of people, the percentage of people that drown or have boating accidents with alcohol or substance abuse involvement is significant,” he said.
If you insist on tying one on while hitting the lake, Bouchard has a request:
“Put on a personal floatation device if you’ve been drinking and just go out and have a fun float. No risk then,” he said. “You won’t have to worry about if you hit a wake at the wrong way and end up in the water if you’ve been drinking a lot, because you’ll be safe.”
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Last year, the Sheriff’s Office Marine Unit – one of the largest in the state – responded to 678 calls for service and spent more than 1.800 hours patrolling contracted lakes.
Officials say the unit was activated 13 times, spending 264 hours in search and rescue operations. The unit responded to six drownings and two near drownings.
The unit has more than 45 part-time deputies who can quickly respond to emergencies on any of the lakes within the county. The unit includes an elite Dive/Rescue Team comprised of 13 full-time Deputies who train rigorously year-round in preparation for any water rescue scenario, regardless of conditions.
Bouchard’s office issued some other important boating safety facts to know as the summer gets underway.
Other boating safety facts include:
• About 86 percent of people who drowned in a recreational boating accident were not wearing a life jacket.
• Drowning was reported as the cause of death in 75 percent of all boating fatalities
• Sun, wind, noise, vibration, and motion – stressors common to the boating environment – intensify the side effects of alcohol, drugs, and some medications.
• Impairment can be even more dangerous for boaters than drivers since most boaters have less experience and confidence operating a boat than driving a car.
• Alcohol use is the leading known contributing factor in fatal boating accidents; where the primary cause was known, it was listed as the leading factor in 23 percent of deaths, according to the U.S. Coast Guard.
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