Fireworks shows draw thousands of boaters to Beaver Lake; officials advise keeping safety in mind

Thousands of people will be on Beaver Lake this Fourth of July weekend, and boaters should keep safety and courtesy in mind, officials said.

The water temperature will be in the 80s and all open camp sites around Beaver Lake are expected to be filled, according to the Army Corps of Engineers. About 120 sites out of the 600 are closed because of spring flooding and debris.

"It will be our busiest weekend of the year out on the water," said Cpl. Tod Johnson, Arkansas Game and Fish Commission boating law administrator. "There are going to be a lot of firework shows on just about every big body of water in the state."

Safety at shows

As the sun goes down Saturday, the annual Ventris Trail's End Resort Fireworks show will begin. Spectators filling about 800 boats are expected just south of marker 8 on Beaver Lake. The music and fireworks projected toward the lake and reflected off the water draw a crowd and can also cause a bit of a traffic jam.

It's important for boaters to be courteous and move slowly, said Jody Simrell, resort manager and the show's head pyrotechnician.

"Go while it's still daylight and make sure before that, all the lighting is working on your boat," Johnson said. "After it is over, let the crowd disperse and be aware of your surroundings."

During the first shows, Simrell said people could get rowdy, but heightened security curbed that. The Corps of Engineers, the Auxiliary Coast Guard, local fire departments and the Benton County Sheriff's Office will be patrolling the water and helping boaters navigate before and after the show.

Similar security measures will be taken at the Lost Bridge Village show Saturday in Garfield, which is expecting more than 1,000 boats, and at the Prairie Creek Marina show Sunday, which is expecting at least 200 boats, officials said.

The National Weather Service forecasts thunderstorms Saturday and Sunday. The fireworks shows have a Sunday rain date.

The Sheriff's Office, Corps of Engineers, Coast Guard and Game and Fish agencies share the responsibility of enforcing boating laws on Beaver Lake. Their officers have the power to issue citations for violations.

Authorities patrolling the lake will be looking for reckless driving or any children 12 and younger not wearing life jackets, which is against the law, said Deputy Tony Park, Sheriff's Office Lake Patrol supervisor.

"We are going to be over the whole lake," Park said. "I'm not out here to write tickets, and I am not out here to harass people. I'm out here to protect this lake. This is my neighborhood."

Park's neighborhood includes seven marinas, which is where deputies will be concentrated to enforce no wake zones. Boaters are to go 5 mph or slower so they don't create waves.

"So far I haven't written tickets. I'm trying to educate people right now," he said. "But if it continues to be an issue, we may have to start."

Water and alcohol don't mix

Deputies check the boats' safety equipment and look for any signs the driver is drunk during any stop, Park said.

Alcohol use is the leading contributing factor in fatal boating accidents, according to the U.S. Coast Guard's Recreational Boating Statistics 2016.

Boating while intoxicated can be more dangerous than driving a car while intoxicated, because most drivers have less experience operating a boat than a car. Boats also don't have brakes, and slower responses to a sudden danger can be the difference between life and death, according to the Game and Fish Commission.

"One of the things people don't think about is the effect of alcohol on the body in the water versus at your air-conditioned home or a bar," Johnson said. "Because of the unstable ground of the boat and the heat of the sun, those three or four beers are going to affect me totally differently while I'm on the boat. We have accidents happening from people falling off boats, not just the BWI aspect."

Boating while intoxicated is as legally serious as driving a car impaired, according to Arkansas Act 299 of 2015. This law is strictly enforced, officials said, and a boating while intoxicated conviction requires suspension of the violator's driver's license and vehicle registration, the same penalty as in a car. The legal blood alcohol level for both is 0.08 percent.

The law requires license suspension periods for driving or boating while intoxicated within a five-year period to be six months for a first offense, 24 months for a second offense, 30 months for a third offense and 48 months for a fourth offense.

The Arkansas Game and Fish Commission ticketed 63 offenders statewide as of Wednesday since the law took effect in 2015, Johnson said.

"I can tell you from my personal experience. I've been working the lakes for 20 years, and I've seen the awareness has gone way up," he said. "The number of sober drivers, not the occupants, but the drivers, is up and more people have the idea of 'lets have a DD, a designated driver, while we are out there.' We are super happy to see that."

Fayetteville resident Hayden Williams said he plans to go out on the lake if the weather is nice and asks his fellow boaters not to drink and drive.

"Water is nothing to joke about, that's for sure. As a driver of a boat, you alone are responsible for everyone on your boat, just like if you were driving a car," he said. "A lot of people out there get a little too confident in their boat skills and that's when someone gets hurt."

Keys to safety

Officials said everyone should wear a life jacket for their own safety, though only children 12 and younger are required by law to wear a safety flotation device.

Beaver Lake has had 128 drownings in its 51-year history, said chief ranger Jared Trammell with the corps. Not all were boating related, but all were without life jackets, he said.

Loaner stations are set up at every swim beach, Trammell said. Swimmers and boaters are free to take as many life jackets as they need and bring them back at the end of the day.

Springdale resident Logue Chancellor has been boating in Northwest Arkansas for 10 years and said he really got into water sports about four years ago. He was on his way to wake board near the Prairie Creek Marina on Thursday evening before the holiday rush.

"The most obvious and also most overlooked thing is having at least one life jacket for every person on board and that they know where they are," Chancellor said. "We make sure that anyone participating in water sports is wearing a life jacket. There's no negotiation on our boat."

Johnson also advises people to keep an eye on everyone in their group.

Beaver Lake's lake level was at 1128.14 Thursday afternoon, which is about 7 feet above normal. It will continue to be high this long holiday weekend, Trammell said.

High water causes floating debris and submerges areas not usually underwater. This can be especially dangerous when pulling tubers and similar water activities, he said.

"I'd say the No. 1 cause of boating accidents in general is failure to keep a look out. You're more in a relaxed mode and may not be as familiar with your surroundings," he said.

The captain, or driver, is responsible for everyone in a boat, but "the more eyes you have looking around is a plus," Johnson said.

A crowded weekend like this one amplifies the need to follow safety guidelines and stay alert. It's best to avoid high-traffic areas, Trammell said.

Chancellor said he avoids the lake on busy weekends such as this one, because it can be nerve racking for even the most experienced boat driver.

"You have to be very, very aware," he said. "The stakes are high with that many people on the lake. The best rule is using common sense. Doing a figure eight on a crowded lake, for example, is probably not the smartest idea."

NW News on 06/30/2017