North Texas

Police, Expert Boaters Share Advice for Safety on the Water

Being on the water seems carefree and effortless.

"Boating life's good. It's relaxing, it's like therapeutic," said boater Mark Pogrebneak.

But it also takes a lot of work.

Pogrebneak takes his boat out nearly every weekend. The biggest problem he sees with other boaters?

"They don't know which way you should pass, so it's like you gotta eye 'em up. You gotta keep eye contact," Pogrebneak said.

The simple answer for those boaters is, "the vessel on your right has the right of way," said Officer Chris Huski with the Grand Prairie Police Lake Patrol.

Huski said most boating problems can be prevented by taking a boater-safety course, which is required for boaters born on or after Sept. 1, 1993.

During random safety checks on Joe Pool Lake on July 4, Huski and his fellow officers checked boaters and jet skiers for these items: registration of the vessel, life jackets for everyone on board, a fire extinguisher, a sound-producing device like a whistle or a horn, and a flotation device that can be thrown.

Huski also pointed out that a lot of mistakes start on land.

"It can be a lack of knowledge of backing trailers, starting off just to get into the water or picking your boat up out of the water," he said.

And then there's making sure the trailer is properly attached.

Near a loading dock at Joe Pool, NBC 5 met a boater named Thomas. He said he has 30 years of boating experience.

"The biggest mistake I see all the time is people don't put their chains on correctly," Thomas said. "They don't cross them, they don't ensure that the hooks are through the chain properly, they don't have a proper lock on the hitch."

He continued to explain in detail what needs to happen for a boat and trailer to be properly connected for safe towing.

It's a nit-picky process that can save a life by keeping your trailer connected.

For new boaters and jet skiers there's a lot to learn, so when in doubt, ask for help.

"In the boating community everyone asks each other. We help each other out," Pogrebneak said.

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