Form A Safety Plan, Stay Sober While Boating Memorial Weekend

It’s a tradition to hit the Upper Cumberland waters during the Memorial Day Weekend.

TWRA Wildlife Officer Dustin Buttram said that before you do, letting someone on land know your plan can be key to getting home safe. Buttram said that someone else needs to know where you’re launching, when you’re going out and when you’re expecting to get off the water.

“When we get a phone call of a husband that didn’t come home, to know how long he’s been out,” Buttram said. “Was he supposed to be home at dark? Was he supposed to be home at midnight? It lets us assess the severity of the problem.”

Buttram said the Tennessee Scenic River Association reports Tennessee as one of the leading states for deaths involving people canoeing and kayaking. He said that each year the waters get more crowded and motor-less boaters need to protect themselves.

“Not having a life jacket on, on those paddle crafts, you’re hard to be seen and they’re low to the water,” Buttram said. “So these motorboats have a harder time seeing those paddlecrafts. So we encourage those paddlecrafts not to be out in the main part of the channel, we like to see those closer to the banks.”

Buttram said that even though it’s a holiday weekend, boats always need a sober operator. He said 40-50 percent of boating accidents on Tennessee waterways are alcohol related.

“It makes things very difficult when you’re pulling a skier or pulling a tube,” Buttram said. “And you’re trying to watch out for other traffic and you mix alcohol with that and it just makes those situations a lot more difficult and dangerous.”

Buttram said watch the weather to avoid getting caught in a storm system moving in over the weekend. He said wearing your life jacket is a critical piece to safety on Tennessee waters, even if you’re not going to wear it he said to keep it accessible.