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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.