1:07
Wisconsin is ranked number two in the country for the number of registered boats, outranking many coastal states for its three-month boating season.
Many of those boats will take to the lakes this weekend.
Lt. Darren Kuhn, the DNR Boating Law Administrator, said there are some simple steps boaters can take to make sure everyone on board stays safe.
First, wear a life jacket.
“Eighty percent of all boating related fatalities are drownings,” Kuhn said. “A majority of those are a direct result of not having a life jacket.”
Kuhn said life jackets should be snug and fastened, not just stored on the boat.
How to stay safe on the water this Memorial Day weekend greenbaypressgazette.com - get the latest breaking news, showbiz & celebrity photos, sport news & rumours, viral videos and top stories from greenbaypressgazette.com Daily Mail and Mail on Sunday newspapers.
This week is National Safe Boating Week, which is perfect timing as Memorial Day weekend approaches. The Wisconsin Department of Natural Resources (DNR) wanted to share some safety tips before boaters head to the water for the long holiday weekend. One of the most important tips is to wear a lifejacket.Â
Everyone assumes that if they know how to swim, they donât need to be wearing a lifejacket. In reality, the majority of people who drown in boating accidents know how to swim and become incapacitated in the water. For example, if they get injured or unconscious, exhausted, or weighed down by clothing.