Boating season kicks off this weekend, police to increase water patrols
May 2, 2025, 1:30 PM
Boating season takes off. (Photo: Ted S. Warren, AP)
(Photo: Ted S. Warren, AP)
Seattle’s Opening Day of Boating Season starts Saturday!
To keep everyone safe, King County Deputy Sgt. Rich Barton tells us they will be patrolling the waterways every day starting Saturday.
“We don’t do a lot of citations, but we do a lot of safety inspections,” Barton said.
They are warning people to check their boats before heading out.
“Make sure you have proper equipment, people may put things away fire extinguisher life jackets everything safety related people might forget about,” Barton said.
This includes the paddleboarders too, they must have a life jacket and a whistle.
Crew Coach Rachel Le Mieux tells us she has been on the water her entire and even she knows how important safety precautions are.
“We are very conscious about safety; we won’t let our rowers out in the water if air temperature are not conducive to our safety. We have traffic patterns all the boat houses follow traffic patterns,” Le Mieux said.
If you do find yourself in an emergency out on the water, you can always call 911.
He says as long as you meet the requirements, everyone will have a good time!
