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Sarasota Police patrol waters during Memorial Day

Posted at 7:08 PM, May 29, 2017
and last updated 2017-05-29 19:08:00-04

Hundreds of boaters took to Sarasota Bay to celebrate Memorial Day. There were also two Sarasota Police officers joining them to keep track of safety.

"The last thing we want to do out here is take someone to jail, we are out here to promote boating safety," said Officer Michael Skinner.

Skinner performs safety checks, looks for drunk captains, and monitors wake zones. He said boaters should familiarize themselves with the water and the wake zones before heading out.

"Take a look around and follow the behavior of the other boats around," said Skinner.

He said all boats should have life jackets, a whistle, and a fire extinguisher. 

"The last think people are thinking of is having an emergency out here on the water, but they need to be prepared," said Skinner.

Skinner said the number one citation he writes is boaters going to fast in a wake zone. Fortunately, there were no major boating incidents reported in Sarasota on Memorial Day.