During Labor Day weekend, fire and rescue officials at Lake Pleasant are reminding people that it’s going to be crowded out on the water for Labor Day. Calls for help always go up this time of year.
It doesn't’t matter how many times you’ve been boating out here on Lake Pleasant, says Chad Case, the general manager at Pleasant Lake Harbor. Because of annual maintenance, the shoreline of this manmade lake has changed, down more than 66 feet, he says.
“What that means is this time of year, the demand of the water is great so the water in this lake is going down. Certain islands and masses are now popping up,” Case said.
People on the lake will need to pay extra attention to where and what they are navigating around.
“And, keep the speed down a little bit, you never know what’s in front of you. It could be an island and watch the booies,” Case said.
Mike Selmer from Peoria Fire and Medical said calls for help always go up this time of year. His best advice: know where you’re at just in case you do need to call for help.
"It makes it easier for us to go out on the water and find you," Selmer said. "GPS locations are also extremely helpful."
You can pick up a free map at both Pleasant Harbor and Scorpion Bay marinas.
And while it’s not illegal for boat passengers to drink alcohol, it is illegal to drink and operate a boat.
"It’s the same rules out on the water that it is in the street," Selmer said. "So we want to remind everyone that and stay safe in the water.”
Also, if you have kids on the boat age 12 and under, they should all be wearing life jackets.