KNOXVILLE, Tenn. — The Tennessee Wildlife Resources Agency will be conducting boating safety checkpoints on Fort Loudoun Lake and Norris Dam over the weekend.
Boaters will need to have a life jacket for every passenger, a floatable device to throw to someone struggling in the water and a fire extinguisher onboard, TWRA spokesperson Matt Cameron.
Children under 12 years will will need to wear a life jacket when the boat is in motion. Boaters also need to have their boat's registration on board, Cameron said.
Lakes get busy during the summertime, which can increase the number of accidents, he said.
"Any time you get that many boats on the water, the potential for an accident greatly increases," Cameron said. "We're seeing that gearing up already. It's hot outside ... people are flocking to the waterways. And a lot of times people just hook up the boat or jump in and go."
Safety equipment is crucial and can save people's lives, he said.
"People don't give a lot of thought to the required safety equipment on board," Cameron said.
Not having the right equipment on board might ruin boaters' summer weekends, he said.
"If you get caught on the water and you don't have the required safety equipment on board, an officer can't leave you out there. The law says we have to take you to the nearest shoreline," Cameron said.
The TWRA wants to keep people safe while they're having fun on the water, he said.
"We don't want to ruin anyone's day out there," Cameron said. "That's truly not why we exist. We exist to keep people safe."
For a full list of the required boating safety equipment, visit TWRA's website.