DNR Says to Expect Officers Out in Full Force Over the Holiday Weekend

(KNSI) — With a near perfect boating forecast for the Memorial Day weekend, Conservation Officers with the Minnesota Department of Natural Resources will be out in force.

Officer Michael Lerchin says, first and foremost, if you’re driving, stay dry. “We’d like to see people leave it on shore and just stick with the boating. If they do decide to bring alcohol on the boat we want to see it done responsibly. So that means having a sober driver on the water and on the roadway.”

He says boaters need to make sure they have the right gear in case of an emergency. “So, life jackets. Each person needs to have one on board, [and] children under ten need to be wearing a life jacket. We’re [also] looking for fire extinguishers [and] sound producing devices. So those are the few key pieces that we want boaters to have.”

He says 90% of drowning victims aren’t wearing life jackets. Boats also need to have working navigation lights.

Boat drivers are reminded to pay attention to buoy markers and be courteous to other boaters by controlling their wake size to prevent swamping other boats or damaging shorelines.

Find all boating rules and regulations by clicking here.

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