As some Central Floridians spent Labor Day out on the water, safety officials were warning boaters not to let the holiday turn into a dangerous one.<\/p>\n
With more boats on lakes and waterways across the state, officials say drinking and boating can quickly become a deadly combination.<\/p>\n
Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission numbers<\/a>\u00a0show 51 people were killed in boating accidents across Florida in 2025, with alcohol or drugs playing a role in 14% of those fatalities.<\/p>\n Despite clouds and rain on Labor Day,\u00a0Belle Isle Marine Police<\/a>\u00a0Officer Steven Shaffer is patrolling the Conway Chain of Lakes.<\/p>\n He says his main goal on a holiday weekend is keeping people safe.<\/p>\n \u201cWe just want everybody to be safe. We want everybody to have a good time and be mindful of, you know, the drinking and everything else,\u201d he said.<\/p>\n Aside from alcohol, Shaffer says operational errors and unsafe practices are also a concern for marine patrol officers, as he approaches a jet skier.<\/p>\n \u201cYou got your license? Registration? No, you don\u2019t have your license. Registration? You\u2019re missing numbers on the other side of your ski. And you took off from the sandbar,\u201d he tells the jet skier.<\/p>\n The jet skier was not driving safely near a sandbar but was only issued a verbal warning.<\/p>\n Shaffer says he sees similar mistakes on the water every day.<\/p>\n \u201cNo life jackets, not on properly or being worn at all. No lanyards on jet skis, pulling tubes without a spotter or mirrors just, you know, just the things that are unsafe on the water,\u201d he shared.<\/p>\n Florida law<\/a>\u00a0allows people to have an open container and drink alcohol aboard a vessel but operating a boat while impaired or intoxicated is illegal.<\/p>\n The\u00a0legal limit<\/a>\u00a0for operating a boat in Florida is a blood-alcohol level of 0.08%.<\/p>\n