Hunter
7/18/19
If you’re going to hit area lakes and rivers to beat the heat this weekend, make sure to have life jackets with you; failure to have them could cost you.
The state Department of Natural Resources is cracking down on offenders this summer, fining over 300 people on the Saturday of the 4th of July weekend alone.
In a news release from the Department, conservation officer Nate Anderson says that it’s not enough to have the jackets with you, they need to be on you, because small paddling crafts and inner tubes can easily tip and throw people into the water due to changing currents or hazards in the water.
Children 12 and under are required to wear a life jacket when in a canoe, kayak or paddleboard. Adults must at least have one on board those crafts.
Four paddlers who have not been wearing life jackets have died already this year. The DNR is encouraging everyone to wear their life jackets regardless of ability or experience.