BOISE-- The temperatures are rising and the sun is out, a sure sign that summer is just around the corner. With the good weather the Ada County Sheriff's Office is expecting Lucky Peak to be packed this weekend.
With more people on the water, deputies are trying to educate people to on how to stay safe.
"I get to help people, I get to educate people," said Deputy Terisa Howell. "It is all about knowledge."
In the summer, the Ada County Sheriff's Office has deputies patrolling the waters of Lucky Peak to make sure everyone on the water is staying safe.
Deputies watch to make sure people are operating their boats and other water crafts properly.
"We are not interested in writing tickets we are just interested in doing some education," said Senior Deputy Rob Fowler. He has been doing boat patrols since 2004.
Last summer, Deputy Fowler says only 18 citations were issued on the water. However, they talked to thousands of boaters and handed out hundreds of warnings.
"If they come up with a smile on their face then you know you're not in trouble and they're just here to help," said Joel Kerley a boater out on Lucky Peak.
The Ada County Sheriff's Office also checks to make sure people are have the right gear on board so they will be safe on the water.
If you don't know what equipment you should have, the sheriff's office does free safety checks at the docks. Boats that pass safety checks get an Idaho inspection sticker. If you don't pass the sheriff's office says that means you don't have the right gear to be safe on the water.
"It is better to be over prepared than under prepared," said Howell. "Take more stuff than you think you are going to need to be safe. You never know when an accident is going to happen that is why it is called an accident."
The inspections only require the minimum safety gear including a safety flag, lights and a whistle or other sound producing device. To pass boat owners also must prove they have current registration and that certain parts of the boat are running properly. We have posted a list of all the things needed to pass the Idaho Boat Inspection.
Deputies say the most common reasons for failing a boat inspection include not having proper life jackets or a fire extinguisher on board.
Deputy Fowler says around 80% of people who die in boating accidents die because they drown and not because of the impact. He knows life jackets save people's lives.
One of the biggest things the sheriff's office wants people to understand is how serious it can be to drunk on the water.
"Alcohol is a significant factor in a lot of the problems that we have up here," said Fowler.
So if you are going to drink, do it responsibly. If your blood alcohol level is above .08% deputies will charge you with operating under the influence the equivalent of a DUI.
"We want them to come out and have a good time we really do,' said Fowler. "We just want to do it safely."
The Ada County Sheriff's Office will be patrolling the waters up until early September.
