Last year, North Carolina recorded 148 boating incidents, resulting in 14 deaths, according to data from NC Wildlife. As of the end of June this year, there had already been 42 more crashes, four of them fatal.
The number one cause of boating accidents is operator distraction.
"There are rules of the water, just like there is on vehicles," said Sgt. Tim Godwin, a law enforcement officer with the North Carolina Wildlife Resources Commission. "The vast majority of the time, it's just operator inattention, paying attention to something out veering off course, you know, colliding with something either fixed object or another boat."
Just over a week ago, tragedy struck Harris Lake, where investigators believe a boat plowed into a group of swimmers. A 10-year-old girl from Cary was killed, and a Wake County social worker was seriously injured.
Two people are now facing charges in connection with the incident, and authorities believe the boat operator was under the influence of alcohol at the time of the crash.
"You can immediately and very quickly turn a happy-go-lucky day with the family and the friends, you know, into something tragic," Godwin said.
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Officials are pushing for greater public awareness and encouraging boaters to take free safety courses offered across the state.
"There are rules of the water as far as when you're encountering other boats to make sure to stay to the right," Godwin said. "We just cover a lot of bases that the general public just don't know off the top of their head."
The overarching message from NC Wildlife law enforcement is clear and urgent: pay attention on the water -- it could save lives.
Anyone born on or after January 1, 1988, is required to complete an approved boating course before operating any boat or vessel with a motor of 10 HP or greater. To learn more about boating safety courses, click here.
For a closer look at boating laws in North Carolina, click here.