TWRA officers preparing for a high volume of boaters on Upper Cumberland waterways this Labor Day weekend as residents try to beat the heat.
Sergeant Dustin Buttram said current water levels are at their lowest pool, which has created new navigational hazards. Buttram said these obstacles may not have been present during previous holiday weekends like the 4th of July.
“Labor Day weekend seems to be that last going-out lake event, you know,” Buttram said. “So everybody that’s generally participating in boating in Tennessee, they will more than likely be out at some point if not all of this three-day weekend.”
Buttram said alcohol consumption significantly increases the risk of dehydration and impairs a boater’s ability to maintain a 360-degree lookout in crowded conditions.
“So we encourage people, just as far as the safety itself on navigating, just to be a little more cautious of shallow points, rock bars, and all that sort of thing,” Buttram said. “And then, you know, like anything in the heat, we encourage hydration.”
Buttram said approximately 50 percent of all boating accidents are related to alcohol use.
“And you know, it’s just like driving a vehicle on the roadway, it’s a hindrance, it affects your ability to multitask and operate safely, making sure you’ve got a good proper lookout, that you’re watching everybody 360 degrees around you, or maybe pulling a skier or surfer,” Buttram said. “You know, there’s a lot of things going on on the lake and you know, we don’t have road lines, there’s not lanes on the waterways, but there is rules of the road, there’s navigational rules.”
Officers will be patrolling in full force during both day and night hours to monitor for reckless operation and impaired drivers.
“Any operation violations we will be making stops and depending on what it is, issuing citations, or if we run into impaired operators, making arrests on the waterway,” Buttram said. “It is the same as the legal limit on the roadways, so if somebody is operating at or above that .08 BAC level, then they’re subject to boating under the influence.”
Buttram said common violations found late in the summer include expired boat registrations and non-functioning navigational lights. Buttram said boaters must ensure their lights are working properly as the sun begins to set earlier in the day.
“If you’re going to be out after sunset, you know, you have to have your navigational lights on and you know, it’s getting dark earlier and earlier now, so you have to pay attention to when that official sunset is and making sure your navigational lights are on and working properly,” Buttram said. “And that’s a big, that’s keeping you safe, it’s telling everybody where you’re going, what direction of travel you’re moving towards and it keeps other boaters away from you.”
Safety inspections conducted by officers will also focus on the presence of life jackets, functional fire extinguishers, and Type IV throwable flotation devices. Buttram said fire extinguishers should be checked to ensure the pressure gauge is in the green zone and has not lost the ability to discharge over time.
“So this busy weekend, you know, we’re just wanting sober operators, you know, we’re looking for, you know, if you’re going to drink just have an operator that’s not drinking,” Buttram said. “Bring a friend, bring a family member, and just, we’re looking for an accident-free weekend and just watching everybody enjoy the weekend and get home safely.”