DNR Offers Advice for Safe Weekend on the Lake

Memorial Day weekend is the traditional kick off to the summer season in and around Lake Hartwell and with the lake at full pool and warm weather expected, this promises to be a busier than average holiday weekend.

DNR Law Enforcement Officer Craig Fulghum says he and fellow DNR officers will be out on the lake all weekend looking for impaired boaters.

“When you’ve got warm weather and a full pool lake, that means a busy lake,” Fulghum said. “The Georgia DNR Law Enforcement wants to remind people to make sure you have a designated boat driver. Georgia has a zero tolerance policy for boating under the influence. We want the public to go out and have a good time, but make sure they do it in a safe and responsible manner.”

Additionally, in Georgia, state law requires children to wear a life jacket at all times when in a boat on the water.

However, Fulghum says everyone on your boat should have a life jacket available.

“Children under the age of 13 must have a life jacket on at all times while the boat is in motion. And make sure it fits properly. Also, make sure you have enough life jackets for everyone on board and you are within the carrying capacity for that boat,” Fulghum said.

If you don’t have life jackets or enough life jackets, the DNR offers free life jackets to borrow for the day.

They’re located on a kiosk at the Tugaloo State Park Mega Ramp.

And even though boating under the moonlight might seem romantic, Fulghum says many boating accidents happen at night so it’s best to take the party on shore when the sun goes down.

“If you’re not familiar with Lake Hartwell we always recommend you enjoy the lake during the daylight hours but stay off the water at night. When the sun goes down, it can dangerous. It becomes a different body of water when the lights go out,” Fulghum said.

And finally, if you are a new boater, Fulghum recommends you go online to the DNR Web site and take an online boating class.

And it is the law in Georgia that all boaters born after January 1, 1998 be required to take a boater education class.

The Web site for the boating class is www.goboatgeorgia.com.