‘Always have a good time:' Law enforcement on high alert Friday for Clay County's ‘Boater Skip Day'
Boater Skip Day in Clay County means hundreds hitting the open water to celebrate the unofficial kick-off of summer, all while taking a bit of unapproved time off work.
'A lot of the people that are going either take off work or take off school for this. So I think it's pretty fun to see everybody just come out and party together and everything,' Becca Staefe told Action News Jax before hitting the water on Friday. 'We always have a good time, there's no issues or anything. So it's kind of cool to see a bunch of different communities getting together.'
However, the heightened crowds out on the water also mean more dangers to be aware of.
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'When you put a bunch of people, a bunch of vessels, then you mix in the conditions of weather, heat-related illness, injuries with anchors, intoxication, and all that, you got to have as much help as you can out there,' Brooks Morrell with the Clay County Sheriff's Office said Friday. 'It's not a Clay County Sheriff's Office-sanctioned event or anything, but we're out there for the health and safety and the security of everybody out there, so we make sure that they have a good time out there.'
Multiple law enforcement agencies all patrolled the popular Bayard sand bar for trouble on Friday, making sure boaters stay hydrated, celebrated responsibly, and had the safety gear needed to enjoy Clay County's biggest unofficial holiday on the water, while avoiding the worst-case scenario.
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'You just wanna make sure you have all your required Coast Guard equipment, [like a] life jacket for each person, type four throwable, fire extinguisher, and a sound producing device,' Morrell said.
CCSO officials ask that boaters also keep in mind the boater safety practices used Friday, throughout the coming summer months, celebrating responsibly while enjoying the waterways Clay County has to offer.
You can find a link to a variety of boater safety resources on the Coast Guard website by clicking here.
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