A lot of people are planning on heading out on their boats for Labor Day weekend and Florida Fish and Wildlife said they'll be out in full force too, but others said they want to be nowhere near the water.
“Oh, yeah. There's going to be people everywhere, a lot of boating under the influence. I won't be out there this weekend. A little too hectic for me,” said boater Mark Vansciver.
To stay safe, Bradley Johnson with FWC said they’ll have all hands on deck.
“We have a lot of officers, our drug recognition experts, our breath test operators, our breath test machines, so we have all our resources really dedicated, just looking out for that so that everyone can be safe and enjoy that holiday weekend,” Johnson said.
If you plan on hitting the water, Johnsons’ advice to you, is to make sure you keep a sharp eye on your surroundings.
“Over half of our reportable boating accidents were a result of a collision, and over half of those collisions are attributable to improper operator attention and improper lookout. So, really making sure you're keeping that awareness for all that extra boat traffic out this holiday weekend is going to be crucial. And again, just reiterating that we have a zero-tolerance policy for boating under the influence,” Johnson said.
Boaters Charlie and Karen McCann say they’re taking their boat out every day this holiday weekend, and they’re making sure to do it with caution.
“We're always concerned about drinking and boating. So we keep a wide berth from people that we think that are doing that. Don't get too close to other boats if we can help it," Charlie said.
FWC said if you’re taking a boat out, remember to wear lifejackets, have all your safety gear on board and designate a sober driver.