CENTRAL OHIO -- Memorial Day weekend is traditionally one of the big kick-offs to the boating, and this weekend enforcement officers Ryan Trout and Rodger Norcross from the Ohio Division of Watercraft are patrolling local lakes to make sure that safety isn't compromised.
They’re watching for speeding, reckless driving and even drinking behind the wheel so that you think about your own safety before you run out of time.
"We have to make sure that everybody enjoys the water and stays safe so it's safe for everybody,” Norcross said.
For kids, the rules are clear: any child younger than 10 years old on a boat less than 18 feet long has to wear a life jacket. And if they're not wearing a life jacket in Delaware County, the boat operator, or the adult on board, is fined $150.
For adult boaters, having a life jacket on board a boat is a legal requirement. Wearing one is an option, but Trout and Norcorss said they would like to see everybody on water wearing one.
And to make it easier, the state is now distributing free inflatable life jackets to anyone who pledges to wear it at all times on the water.
Visit for more information: http://www.dnr.state.oh.us/watercraft/wearitohio/tabid/2482/default.aspx.
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