BOATING SAFETY - With tomorrow being the July 4th Holiday… thousands of people will be taking to area lakes and rivers to enjoy water activities including swimming and boating. And every year during this holiday, there is no shortage of tragic news stories regarding boating accidents. Lt. Billy Jones, supervisor of the Bossier Sheriff’s Office - Marine Patrol, shares some considerations before you put your boat on the water this summer.
"We had a crash a few weeks ago on a boat and I think the problem with that boat was it wasn't maintained. It was a gas issue and it turned out there was an explosion people could've been killed. Fortunately they weren't but they were seriously hurt. So every year prior to getting on the water, you should always take your boat in to a service dealer, let them maintain it, make sure it's ready to go before you get out on the water."
July 4th is a busy time on the waterways, and major safety issue is boat traffic and operator courtesy.
"The biggest problem we have is the number of people we have on the water. And they're all doing different things. We'll have tubers, we'll have casual people that are on the pontoons just driving around. And then
you'll have people on Jet-Skis. And the biggest problem for us is overcrowding and of course Jet-Skiers, they're kind of the motorcycles of the water. You know, the want to play on them and have fun on them, but doing so you need to give other boats plenty of room, to do their thing. That's our biggest complaint is Jet-Skis crowding other boats."
Alcohol consumption is also another factor when it comes to accidents on the waterways and elsewhere, Lt. Jones offers this advice: "Just be safe, be courteous and if you're going to drink, be responsible."