Georgia boaters had a safe holiday weekend, wardens say

CLARKS HILL LAKE, Ga. (WRDW/WAGT) — Labor Day weekend is known for both boating and freeway driving, so law enforcement are also stepping up patrols on the water.

The Georgia Department of Natural Resources had guards on duty throughout Labor Day weekend to ensure the safety of boaters and drivers.

The hard work pays off.

Over this Labor Day weekend, the agency found few to no serious violations at CSRA and the Peach State.

“I think statewide we’ve only had two BUIs and one boating incident,” said Levi Thompson, a wildlife warden for the agency.

The more time they spend on the lakes, the more people the wardens see.

Guardians said the most common problems they see are people tubing or jet skiing with no onboard observers.

“We’ve been talking to them all summer so they understand what they need to do at the start of the summer, but they get it by the end of the summer,” Thomson said.

The agency has arrested more than 10 operators for drunk boating.

The guards also ensure that the children are safe.

“That’s one thing we need to check: to make sure their life jackets are on properly and their parents are watching them, and to make sure we have sober operators pulling these kids around,” Thompson said.

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