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Sheriffs Warn Boaters To Skip The Booze While On The Water

DETROIT (WWJ) - Police aren't just worried about all of the vacationers on Michigan's roadways.  As WWJ's Vickie Thomas reports, officials are keeping an eye on Michigan's waterways this holiday weekend too.

Macomb County Sheriff Anthony Wickersham said patrols out on the waterways will be stepped up this Fourth of July weekend.

"We always gauge it by the weather. If it's a nice day, we're going to have a lot more boats out there. So, we'll bring in some personnel, we have our volunteers, marine safety officers that we can deploy, so we're going to have a presence out there," Wickersham said.

The Sheriff said boaters should take everything into consideration before they hit the waterways, such as flotation devices and first aid kits.

"With the boating, again, make sure your vessel is in good working order, make sure you have life jackets for everybody who's on board, have a cell phone if you don't have a ship-to-share marine radio in case you get stranded out there so you can contact dispatch via 911 call," Wickersham said.

Oakland County Sheriff Mike Bouchard also wants everyone to remember, water and alcohol don't mix.

"A big chunk of the drownings we see on Oakland County lakes, we have 450 lakes, have some relationship, very often, to alcohol. So, if we could remove alcohol from the water, I'm sure we would eliminate a number of drownings every year," Bouchard said.

The Sheriff said parents especially need to refrain from drinking if they are brining their children near water.

"It doesn't mix well with boating, with swimming, all of those things are dangerous by themselves if you don't do it right, and now you mix in alcohol," Bouchard said.

Whats the weather look like for this weekend? Click here to view the forecast on our weather page.

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