Taking advantage of the belated summer weather, hundreds of people in Snohomish County are enjoying boats, inner tubes and kayaks out on the water.
Some of them also are drinking.
Last weekend, Snohomish County sheriff’s Marine Services Unit participated in a national patrol to curb boating under the influence of alcohol and to educate people about the existing laws.
Crews made no arrests for drunken boating but warned and cited people for other violations, sheriff’s Lt. Rodney Rochon said.
A total of 40 people were stopped on Friday and Saturday.
People are not always aware of all of the safety laws, Rochon said. The state requires that, on boats under 19 feet, kids younger than 12 wear life jackets all the time.
A state-mandated boating education law, which is coming in effect incrementally through 2016, requires anyone under 30 to take a test if they are operating a boat with a motor. By 2016, the law will apply to anyone born after Jan. 1, 1955, Rochon said.
Wearing a life jacket is a good idea for adults, too.
Drinking while swimming, boating or playing in the water is not a good idea, Rochon said.
“Don’t do it. Alcohol affects you faster in the water,” he said.
Statewide, 45 people died between 2004 and 2009 in boating accidents involving alcohol, the sheriff’s office reported. The U.S. Coast Guard lists alcohol as the leading cause of deadly boating accidents in the country.
The sheriff’s marine unit often responds to calls about broken down boats, Rochon said.
“If you are ready to take that first trip of the season, make sure all equipment is in good condition,” he said.
Be it a boat or an inner tube, if you are planning an outing on the water, tell someone where you are going and when you are planning to come back, said Jeremy Swearengin, assistant chief of Snohomish County Fire District 19, which serves Silvana.
In the first three weeks of June, crews from the Stillaguamish Swift Water Rescue Team went on two calls. People underestimate the danger of the Stillaguamish River, Swearengin said. Lakes are safer than rivers for swimming and playing in the water.
The water in the Stilly is about 55 to 60 degrees this time of year, he said. People shouldn’t stay in the water for more than 30 to 40 minutes before drying off.
“Have dry clothes and a warm car or a house to go to,” Swearengin said.
Katya Yefimova: 425-339-3452, kyefimova@heraldnet.com.
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