Boater safety tips for Memorial Day weekend
HORRY COUNTY, S.C. (WBTW) — Memorial Day weekend is here, and officials want you to practice boater safety while out on the water. For many, this weekend marks the beginning of summer.
The South Carolina Department of Natural Resources says temperatures warming up and the long holiday weekend, means more waterway traffic and crowded boat landings. It wants you to have fun, but also stay safe.
SCDNR says there’s easy ways to protect your family, friends and pets. It says one of the most important things is keeping life jackets on board at all times.
It also says double check you have your registration; your fire extinguisher is working, and a phone is readily available in case of emergencies.
They also say take the time to get familiar with the waterways, so you don’t get stuck.
Jay Gregg is a conservation officer with SCDNR and says the department will be out on the water, in numbers, over the holiday.
“If you see us, call us over,” Gregg said. “We’ll be glad to check your boat out. Especially if you call us over, we can point out what you need and you can get it. I mean, it’s just, it’s all about safety.”
Freedom Boat Club says it recommends anyone sitting in the driver’s seat of a boat, to freshen up with a boater training course.
It also says to have a designated driver and to leave alcohol on shore. It says the U.S. Coast Guard requires all boaters to have life jackets, a radio and kill switch on board.
Karen Berry is its vice president of operations and says safety is its number one priority all year round.
“We want to keep our members safe; we want to keep other people on the water safe,” Berry said. “So, we highly recommend, of course, training, boater safety course, have all the safety gear and just be ready to be on the water. Keep it safe. Boat safe, have fun.”
Berry also says to let someone know where you’re going before you leave.
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Adrianna Lawrence is a multimedia journalist at News13. Adrianna is originally from Virginia Beach, Virginia, and joined the News13 team in June 2023 after graduating from Virginia Commonwealth University in May 2023. Keep up with Adrianna on Instagram, Facebook, and X, formerly Twitter. You can also read more of her work, here.
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