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Onondaga Sheriff’s Department Prepares CNY Boaters for Summer Boating Season Onondaga Sheriff's Department Prepares CNY Boaters for Summer Boating

By Lauren Helmbrecht

Lauren Helmbrecht: That’s right, I’m out at Onondaga Lake park where the boats are out, but not a lot of people are. But that wasn’t the case this Memorial Day weekend. The Onondaga Sheriff’s Department was out patrolling and giving out boat safety alerts at this lake and others across the county. And they gave out 99 warnings to people who failed to comply with boater safety guidelines for New York State this weekend alone.

Helmbrecht: AS PEOPLE ACROSS NEW YORK STATE BEGIN TO LAUNCH INTO BOATING SEASON, IT’S IMPORTANT TO REMEMBER TO PACK SOME REQUIRED GEAR. AND IN ONONDAGA COUNTY, BOATERS WILL BE REMINDED BY THE SHERIFF’S DEPARTMENT

SERGEANT DAN PACE: That’s what we’re out here initially for. We’re not out here to kind of give people a hard time. It’s to educate them

Helmbrecht: 

SERGEANT DAN PACE IS A MEMBER OF THE SHERIFF’S DEPARTMENT NAVIGATION TEAM. HE PATROLS LOCAL LAKES AND RIVERS TO MAKE SURE PEOPLE ARE FOLLOWING STATE BOATER LAWS. AND HIS TEAM FOCUSES ON TEACHING BOATERS ABOUT SAFETY EQUIPMENT

Pace: But in most cases, the number one important thing is life jackets, which we have a couple of here today.

Helmbrecht: CHILDREN 12 AND UNDER ARE REQUIRED TO WEAR LIFE JACKETS WHILE ON A BOAT. ALSO, BOATERS MUST HAVE FLARES, A WHISTLE OR HORN, A FIRE EXTINGUISHER, NAVIGATION LIGHTS, AND A THROWABLE FLOATATION AID IN CASE SOMEONE FALLS OVERBOARD.

Helmbrecht
: New York State boaters can find everything they are required to have on their boat in the New York State boaters guide. And Sergeant Pace said a Type-4 floating device is one of the most important things you can have. But make sure you have a rope attached to it, in case you miss that first throw.

Helmbrecht: 

ONCE BOATERS HAVE THE CORRECT GEAR ON BOARD, THEY CAN HIT THE WATER. BUT SERGEANT PACE NEEDS TO REMIND THEM NOT TO SPEED OVER THE LIMIT OF 10 MILES PER HOUR ON RIVERS AND CANALS.



PACE: So we tend to see a lot of people speeding on the river. And that tends to be our biggest complaint from other boaters and especially people that live along the river as well.

Helmbrecht: JERRY LIEDKA HAS BEEN TAKING HIS FAMILY OUT ON ONEIDA LAKE FOR YEARS. HE HAS A SIMPLE TIP FOR NEW BOATERS TAKING THE WATER.



JERRY LIEDKA: Be careful. Have some common sense. That’s what it mainly is out there. If a boat is coming at you, slow down.

Helmbrecht: 

AS BOATERS PREPARE TO TAKE THE WATER THIS SUMMER, THE NAVIGATION TEAM WILL BE NEARBY AND CHECKING IN.



Pace
: Obviously we want you to enjoy yourself. We want you to have fun, but most important is we want you to be safe.

Helmbrecht: Now while failing to comply with a life vest could get you a fine of 25 to 100 dollars, boating while intoxicated could earn a fine up to one thousand dollars. For NCC News at Onondaga Lake, I’m Lauren Helmbrecht.

SYRACUSE, N.Y. (NCC News) –  Memorial Day marks the unofficial start of the summer season, and with that, boaters in Central New York are taking to the water. But before people can hit the lake, rivers, and canals, the Onondaga Sheriff’s Department Navigation Unit wants boaters to know about important safety measures.

Sgt. Dan Pace has been working with the Navigation Unit for 12 years. His team’s main goal is to teach boaters about various rules and regulations associated with hitting the water.

“We’re not out here to give people a hard time. It’s to educate them,” Pace said.

Pace’s main point of education is the safety gear required on boats. Children 12 and under are required to wear life vests while on a boat and each boat should be equipped with a throwable floatation aid in case someone falls overboard.

Other safety gear requirements are:

  • Flares
  • Whistle or horn
  • Fire extinguisher
  • Navigation lights

Pace and the Navigation Unit also emphasize speed when working with boaters, especially out on the local rivers and canals. The speed limit of rivers and canals is 10 miles per hour and there is a no-wake zone within 100 feet of docks and other boats.

Pace understands being pulled over isn’t something boaters look forward to, but his team does so to ensure everyone’s boating experience goes smoothly.

“Obviously we want you to enjoy yourself. We want you to have fun, but most important is we want you to be safe,” Pace said.

During the Memorial Day weekend, the Navigation Unit made 50 stops and gave out 99 verbal warnings to boaters on the Onondaga County waterways. The Navigation Unit also gave out seven monetary tickets.

The full New York State Boaters guide can be found here.

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