TWRA reminds boaters to be safe this Memorial Day weekend

HARDIN COUNTY, Tenn. — Many West Tennesseans are counting down the days until Memorial Day weekend — in particular, boaters looking forward to getting back on the water.

“We’re not out here to spoil anybody’s fun. We want people to come out to the lake, enjoy, and have a good time out here, but we want them to do it responsibly and safely,” TWRA Sgt. Ray Garton said.

We met up with TWRA at Pickwick Lake in Hardin County to go over important things to remember before leaving the dock. They say life vests are one of the most important pieces of equipment. There needs to be one for everyone on deck.

“Over 80 percent of the fatalities involving boats is drowning,” Sgt. Garton said. “And a lot of those situations, a life jacket could have saved those people’s lives.”

TWRA reminds boaters to avoid driving distracted and pay attention to signs on the water such as buoys as well as other boaters around you.

“There is going to be an increase in boating traffic, so be aware of your surroundings,” Sgt. Garton said. “Boating’s not like driving a car to the fact that you don’t have lanes that everybody stays in.”

Garton says one of the easiest ways to ruin a day on the water is to be caught drinking and driving. The law is the same as on the road, and a .08 blood alcohol level can land you in jail.

“Alcohol will affect someone a lot faster on the water versus on land due to external stressors such as the wind, the waves, the sun,” Sgt. Garton said.

Garton also says if you’re boating, you must have a license if you were born after Jan. 1, 1989. To learn more about getting your license, visit the TWRA Boating in Tennessee website.