The warm summer heat has gotten many of us wanting to spend our free time on the water. And to do so,many people enjoy that time on a boat.
But this summer, the Department of Natural Resources says they have seen fewer boating related incidents than in most years.
The DNR in our area says they have given out fewer citations than in most years, especially ones relating to boater error. One Marathon County DNR Warden says he feels there are a variety of reasons for the decrease--- but one of the biggest factors--the nice weather.
Ben Herzfeldt of the Marathon County DNR says, "Locally I would say enforcement wise it has been a little slower, which is good. Part of the reason for that is that the boat traffic has been spread out more than just concentrated on the weekends due to the better weather."
He also says that this year's drownings at the beginning of the season may have played a role in boater safety. Having boaters know there are serious consequences on the water may have made operators more aware while on their watercrafts.
Now, the boating season is not over quite yet, and Labor Day being less than a week away, the DNR wants to urge boaters to use caution They say this coming weekend is one of the busiest of the year. It is also one of the last times people enjoy their watercrafts, making many area waterways more crowded than usual.
