Memorial Day marks the unofficial start of the summer and the beginning of boating season. Here are some tips on how to stay safe while on the water.
A safety administrator at the Illinois Department of Natural Resources as well as the founder of Bless the Boats, an event dedicated to spreading safety advice and blessing those out partying on the water, shared some safety tips.
The biggest piece of advice received is from IDNR's Safety Education Administrator Cody Gray.
Gray said the best way to keep from drowning is to keep a life jacket on at all times. It is required by law for anybody under the age of 13 to wear one at all times while on the boat.
"We would really like to see everybody, for their own benefit, to just use that life jacket or that PFD to ensure that they get out to their destination safely and make it back home to their loved ones where they are wanted," Gray said.
And the same for those captaining a boat. If there's alcohol involved, make sure the captain is sober.
"We have an increased number of incidents but to avert that we like to see everybody have their own sober captain or sober boat operator so that way, you've got again, somebody that can take you out to your fun time and make sure you get back to where your trailer is to get home or get back to your dock," Gray said.
Others, like Elks Springfield Lodge 158 President Jan Cimarossa, said the best way to prevent accidents is to avoid drinking. Going on to say the water can be unpredictable and you could face criminal charges if caught drinking and driving the boat.
"Our boating safety tips would be the one thing that probably doesn't want to hear is no drinking. You know, kind of curtail that as much as you can because you can't get in trouble with a DUI on the lake if you do get busted," Cimarossa said
Cimarossa hosts an annual Bless the Boats event, which is dedicated to promoting the safety of those enjoying the holiday out on the water by having a pastor bless the boats with holy water as they drive by the docks.
"We're in conjunction with the national boat safety week. and we started it basically to promote safety on Lake Springfield. We've had a lot of accidents, and we are trying to eliminate that or cut it down in one way or the other," Cimarossa said.
IDNR said wearing a personal floatation device is integral to prevent drowning in case of a boating emergency. If you will be out enjoying the water, be mindful to wear that life jacket.
Officials said sober boating is the best way to prevent accidents from occurring on the water.