Memorial Day Boating Safety: What You Need to Know

(Mix 93-1) Many East Texans have been looking forward to Memorial Day weekend since the New Year's holiday, not because of all of the sales, but because it's a three-day weekend for most.

Not only is it a long weekend, it's also the unofficial beginning of summer. As kids are out of school, or about to be, families all across the Piney Woods will be gathering for cookouts and having fun poolside or on the lakes thanks to warmer temperatures.

With so many of us hitting Lake Palestine, Lake Tyler, Lake Fork, Lake O' the Pines, Caddo Lake, Toledo Bend, Lake Sam Rayburn, and Lake Bob Sandlin this weekend, Texas Game Wardens will be out patrolling area lakes to make sure boaters and their passengers are safe.

Those boaters are pulling skiers, wakeboarders, and tubers of all kinds, anf if not, then they're out just cruisin' on the water.

Texas Game Wardens want you to be safe on the water

The Texas Parks and Wildlife Department (TPWD) and Texas Game Wardens will be checking boaters for some common-sense things:

• Like there's one life jacket per person on board a boat.
• The boat doesn't have too many passengers.
• The driver is a sober operator.
• Personal watercraft machines have an operating kill switch.

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Authorities do not want a repeat of 2024, when 16 fatalities took place on Texas lakes between May and June, according to TPWD's Recreational Boating Incident Statistics for 2024. Cody Jones, TPWD assistant commander for marine enforcement, says,

Taking simple precautions, like wearing a life jacket, can be the key to making it home safely. It’s a small step that can have a life-saving impact.

If you're going to operate a boat this Memorial Day weekend or anytime this summer, here are some safety tips you should keep in mind:

• Always wear a life jacket; it’s the law for kids under 13.
• Use your boat’s ignition safety switch; it’s the law.
• Never boat under the influence of alcohol.
• Don’t overload your vessel.
• Maintain a safe speed and keep a proper lookout.
• Be cautious in low water or near submerged objects.
• Take a certified boater education course.
• Leave a float plan with someone you trust.
• Exercise special caution on personal watercraft.
• Avoid saltwater if you have open wounds, as Vibrio bacteria occur naturally in Texas coastal waters.

As we welcome summer 2025, have some fun in the sun, but do it responsibly and safely. Now jump on that hot dog weiner float and hang on for your life because that big wake is coming to knock you off!

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