VIDEO: Boating Safety Tips

LOWNDES COUNTY, Miss. (WCBI) – Memorial Day weekend is the official kickoff to summer.

It’s also the first big weekend for people to hit the water.

So far this year, there have been 14 boating accidents and three water related deaths.

To make sure everyone stays safe this weekend, the Mississippi Department of Wildlife, Fisheries and Parks Conservation Officers will be checking boaters.

There’s some important rules to know before boats roll into the water.

“On a busy weekend like this, make sure your boat is running properly. Make sure you have enough gas. If you get stalled in a situation where there’s a lot of people around, good chance your boat will get swamped or something like that. So, just checking everything to make sure everything is working right before you leave the boat landing,” says MDWFP Boating Coordinator for the Central Region, Lt. Marc McCleskey.

Once those things are checked and life jackets are zipped, it’s time hop into the boat and start cruising down the water.

“We want everybody to have a good time. If their boats are registered, we want them to have a good time. We want them to have everything on the boat. We just want to be out here and stress that, if they need us we’re here, but if you’re on the water this weekend, you’re going to get checked.”

Officers started checking boaters this morning.

They’re checking for certain things and if you don’t have them, expect a fine.

“Make sure before you leave the boat landing that you have everything you need in the boat. Life jackets, fire extinguishes, sound amplifying devices. Make sure that your boat is registered and make sure that your lights work before you leave, especially if you’re going to be coming back after dark.”

McCleskey wants to stress to all boaters that everyone on the water craft must have a life jacket.

“The law says if you are 12 years old or younger, you have to have a life jacket on the whole time that you’re in the boat. If you’re older, you do not have to have a life jacket on, but we want to stress to have that life jacket on. If we stop you, we want to make sure if you don’t have that life jacket on, it’s very easy accessible.”

Boater Jacob Hanson says he looks not only for what’s on the water, but what’s in it as well.

“You want to watch out for logs, any floating debris, and obviously other boaters. Anybody tubing, knee boarding. You want to try to be a courteous boater.”