Virginia Department of Game and Inland Fisheries are keeping boaters safe for July 4th weekend

CLAYTOR LAKE (WSLS10) - July 4th is a busy weekend on the roads as well as the waterways. Officers from the Department of Game and Inland Fisheries said July 4th is when they see an increase in boating activity.

They said they'll have extra patrol to make sure people have the proper equipment like life jackets when out on the water.

The goal for this weekend, make sure people can relax safely.

"We're looking for safety this weekend, we want peoplr to have a safe fun and enjoyable weekend, we want everybody to go home at night when they're done no injuries no boating accidents," Mark Brewer with the Department of Game and Inland Fisheries said.

Also July 1st new boating laws went into effect.

The Department of Game and Inland Fisheries workers say anyone operating a boat must take the boating safety class.

The class is designed to teach boaters several things, like how to operate boats in zones where there's a lot of activitiy.

"The proper lights to use at night, and the legal blood alcohol content in the state of Virginia, those things are just a few of the things covered to operate a motor boat and those things are necessary," Senior Officer Troy Phillips, with the DGIF said.

Also another change, if operating a jet ski, the minimum age is 14 years old.

The boating class is a free 8 hour course.