The U.S. Coast Guard has a warning for people heading out on the water this Labor Day holiday weekend after seeing a surge in illegal charters along the Chicago lakefront.<\/p>\n
The federal agency along with the Illinois Department of Natural Resources and Chicago police and fire marine units are keeping a watchful eye on boaters this holiday weekend.<\/p>\n
\u201cWe don\u2019t want a fun day out on the water to end in tragedy someone getting injured or worse,\u201d said Commander Theresa Bigay, U.S. Coast Guard Marine Safety Unit Chicago. <\/p>\n
The Coast Guard said illegal passenger vessel operations have exploded over the last several years with operators bypassing the rules and regulations of the waterway to make a profit.<\/p>\n
\u201cA lot of times the vessels are not fit for the service that they\u2019re doing they\u2019re not evaluated to handle the amount of passengers they take on board and the captain and crew they might not have the training or the equipment to really respond to emergencies,\u201d said Chief Warrant Officer Glen Lovelace, U.S. Coast Guard.<\/p>\n
The Chicago Harbor Safety Committee is urging people to do their research before renting, ask about safety equipment, life jackets, training, and credentials. <\/p>\n
\u201cMake sure the operator if you\u2019re chartering has an active operators\u2019 credentials of course,\u201d said Mike McElroy, Chicago Harbor Safety Committee President. <\/p>\n
\u201cMake sure the operator if you\u2019re chartering has an active operators\u2019 credentials of course, if you\u2019re chartering a boat, there should be a written agreement,\u201d he said. \u201cYou should have gotten to pick that captain whoever that may be and if you didn\u2019t and the captain was just provided to you\u2014that\u2019s a red flag.”<\/p>\n
Vessels with more than six passengers have to be inspected by the coast guard and should have a sticker to verify inspection is current, according to officials. <\/p>\n
\u201cYou can also go and take a few short quiz questions on our website, research before renting,\u201d he said. \u201cYou can check those questions before you even get to the boat, so you come in advanced educated.\u201d<\/p>\n
The organization even launched a campaign this year calling on boaters and operators to own their wake.<\/p>\n
\u201cLake Michigan can be cruel, but she can also be beautiful but without a proper education, understanding the rules of the road or how to navigate safely, you\u2019re setting up yourself for failure,\u201d he said.<\/p>\n
The Coast Guard also advised to always wear your life jacket, don\u2019t speed on the water, and report any unsafe conditions or suspicious activity you can do so by downloading the CGIS Tips App.<\/p>\n