Keeping Kentucky waters safe going into Memorial Day weekend

Despite the rainy weather, the excitement of Memorial Day is upon us.

In just a couple days, boats that have spent months parked in the marina will be making waves across the state and the country for the unofficial start to summer.

It has officers like James Brace and Mike Pritchard preparing to have a watchful eye over the water once again.

“Unless there’s bad weather, we’ll be checking the banks for people fishing, things like that," Brace said.

“For the most part, you can count on a conservation officer across the state of Kentucky each and every weekend between Memorial Day and Labor Day.”

While these men didn't grow up on the water, they've experienced a lot in their time with Kentucky Fish and Wildlife.

Many stories of people putting themselves and others at risk on the water.

“We had one a couple years ago; I think she was an 11-year-old girl operating a jet ski. Another boat went by and created some wake. Made her very uncomfortable, and she ended up hitting the throttle and slamming into a dock," Pritchard said

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"Fortunately, they were able to walk away. It’s not always what you’re doing out here; it’s what other people are doing.”

The U.S. Coast Guard put out a report detailing boating and water safety from 2022.

According to their data, of the 636 boating-related deaths in 2022, 75% of them were drownings, and 85% of those drownings were a result of people not properly using life vests.

“I’d say every officer across the state has worked a drowning."

"Nobody wants to work these drownings especially on Lake Herrington there have been these accidents that could’ve been prevented and avoided is somebody had a life jacket on.”

In the last month, there have been multiple drownings reported in central Kentucky, including at Lake Cumberland and Lexington's Jacobson Park.

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Both Brace and Pritchard chalk up many of the incidents they respond to, deadly or otherwise, a result of not understanding or ignoring simple rules of the water.

While some may see the message of safety an old and tired one, but for officers like these, the reminders and warnings are all the more important as we continue to see deaths in our area and around the country.

“We still run into some that don’t know about life jackets, don’t know they need a fire extinguisher. They don’t know they have to have their registration on the boat," Pritchard said.

"If you’re not aware, if you’re not knowing what’s going on around you, it can be very dangerous.”