The Memorial Day holiday – the unofficial start of the summer vacation season and the first time many boaters take to the water after the winter hiatus – is an opportune time to remind area residents of something they should already know. The region’s attractive and popular waterways can be perilous places. The Tennessee Wildlife Resources Agency, in fact, reports that the two most dangerous waterways in the state are the Ocoee River and Chickamauga Lake.
The danger is growing because more and more individuals are on the water in an expanding number of watercraft of various sizes at sometimes dizzying rates of speed. The result is unsurprising: Deaths, injuries and drownings on state rivers, lakes and bays are becoming a regular component of boating season.
In Tennessee, there were 19 boating deaths and 131 serious injuries reported last year by the Boating Division of the TWRA, which is responsible for waterway safety. Ensuring and enforcing safety is a difficult job in a state with expansive waterways, but the TWRA works hard to fulfill its mission.
The agency does get some assistance from other enforcement agencies. In Hamilton County, for example, the sheriff’s boat patrol works with the TWRA, providing safety patrols in addition to security for special events on the county’s waterways. The county also provides aid in emergencies in nearby counties that do not have boat patrols.
Even with such help, ensuring safety on Tennessee’s myriad waterways is a never-ending task. In 2010, TWRA officers arrested 155 people for boating under the influence, inspected 83,600 vessels and issued 2,558 violation citations and 1,683 warning citations. They also participated in about 50 search-and-rescue missions.