By MATT PIKE
St. Joseph Post
Warm weather means fishing and getting the boat out in the water, and the Missouri Highway Patrol wants you to practice boat safety.
Seargent Shane Hux with Troop H in St. Joseph says before you hit the open water you should make sure have adequate life jackets on board.
"Whether they are US Coast Guard certified or not, make sure they fit properly," Hux tells KFEQ/St. Joseph Post.
He says another big thing on your to do list should be to check if your boat is ready for the water
"You know properly inspected, make sure everything is working properly, the last thing you want to do is get out there and have mechanical issues and get stranded," Hux says.
Hux says to his knowledge most boaters take the rules seriously.
"Most of the boaters we have out there are responsible," Hux explains. "However, not everybody is of course that's why it's important that we be out there, not only for their safety but the safety of the other boaters and swimmers that are out there enjoying the recreational time.
Hux says the Troop H water patrol division will be patrolling the waters in the Troop H region watching for violations and doing safety inspections.
Troop H will hold a boater safety course on June 4th.
"It is going to teach them a lot about safety, basically rules of operating watercraft, whether it be boats or personal watercraft," Hux explains. "Because a lot of people don't realize even a personal watercraft, so like a jet ski, you still have to have your certification to be able to operate one of those."
The course will run from 8am to 4pm at the Troop H headquarters in St. Joseph.
Any boater that was born after January 1st, 1984 is required to take the course to get the state required certified boating safety education card