'You've got to do it responsibly': OHP Lake Trooper warns about importance of water safety

Hundreds of boats are out on Keystone Lake with people enjoying Labor Day weekend. It is a big lake that the Marine Enforcement Division of the Oklahoma Highway Patrol (OHP) is tasked with keeping safe.

Trooper Ryan Griffith said the first two hours of his shift on Saturday, he stopped four boats and wrote two tickets. "Both of them were from people who were overloaded, meaning they had too many people on their boat or personal watercraft," he said.

Patrolling the Lake

OHP is looking for several things when its troopers are out on patrol. Every watercraft must have proper registration with its vessel numbers displayed on the side. The operator and those on board need to have a life jacket readily accessible, a photo ID, and must maintain a safe speed and distance from other watercraft.

There are even some safety items that need to be on board, including a fire extinguisher and a sounding device like a whistle or horn. Griffith said, "The number one thing for me is do not leave that personal flotation device sitting in the bottom of the boat. Just put it on, they are like seatbelts, they only work if you wear them."

Education is Key

Griffith said the number one comment he hears from people during patrol is that they did not know the rules. He tells them ignorance is no excuse of the law. "People need to educate themselves before they come to the lake," Griffith continued, "There are a lot of rules that they need to follow, and if they follow those rules, they will not be getting a citation from me."

OHP offers free boater safety courses. Griffith encourages everyone who plans to be in and around Oklahoma lakes to take the class. To learn more, click here.