TWRA Promotes Boat Safety Heading Into Holiday Weekend

Memorial Day Weekend traditionally is known as the start of the summer season, and is also the start of boating season in Tennessee. The weather is supposed to be pretty nice for the majority of the weekend, so there will be plenty of people out on Douglas Lake and Cherokee Lake this weekend. The Tennessee Wildlife Resource Agency is reminding boaters that this weekend is a good weekend to remember boating safety, including having plenty of life jackets on hand so there is one for each person on the boat. The TWRA says anyone 13 or under should have a lifejacket on at all times when out on the water. They also say you should have fire extinguishers on board if you have enclosed fuel tanks, and a throwable life jacket if your boat is 16 feet or greater in length. According to the TWRA, 21 people died on Tennessee waterways in 2021. 10 people have already died on the waters of Tennessee already in 2022. The TWRA also reminds boaters that starting this year the penalty for driving a boat while intoxicated is the same for driving a car while intoxicated.