It’s been an educational boating season for vessel operators cruising across Lake Washington in the Mercer Island area.

Mercer Island Police Department (MIPD) Marine Patrol Sergeant Chad Schumacher said that, at press time, boat traffic was down in recent months possibly due to the inconsistent summer weather or soaring gas prices.

The majority of those boaters who have taken to the water are adhering to the law and are staying safe, said Schumacher, adding that officers have issued some tickets to operators for not having enough life jackets on board or not carrying boater education cards.

Mostly, though, the stops have been focused on informing people of the do’s and don’ts on the water. Vessel stops have included carrying a passenger in an unsafe manner, showing expired registrations, no-wake violations and not having an additional passenger in place to observe their boat’s wakeboarders or water skiers.

“Most of our stuff has been education. A lot of people, once they realize the concerns, they’re like, ‘Makes total sense,’ and everything,” Schumacher said. He noted that people in the boating community are supportive of the Marine Patrol unit and they receive waves and thank-yous while they’re on patrol.

In the unsafe realm, Schumacher said they’ve spotted passengers sitting outside of the vessel on the boat’s transom with their feet propped onto the swim step while the boat is in motion.

Officers have also been educating people about the danger of carbon monoxide, which swirls at the rear of the boat near the swim step and the end of the engine department.

“We’re seeing people throughout the nation that are being exposed to carbon monoxide that way. Carbon monoxide can kill people. Luckily, we haven’t had any people get sick or go into the water because of that, but it is something that we target to make sure that we don’t have that,” said Schumacher, adding that carbon monoxide is odorless.

Schumacher said that MIPD officers responded to just one accident this summer involving a pair of jet ski occupants. While riding tandem on a vessel, the young adults — who were both donning life jackets — jumped a wake, were thrown into the water and the vessel landed on them, according to an officer’s report. One rider was transported to the hospital with a possible broken ankle and the other sustained minor injuries.

MIPD — which has more than a dozen officers who are trained to operate boats — runs two vessels Friday through Sunday and on holidays or during major events and one vessel Monday through Thursday. There’s always an officer working who can operate a vessel, Schumacher said.

On the Fourth of July and during the city’s Summer Celebration on July 9, MIPD counted approximately 50-75 boats, a bit less than anticipated. Prior to the Summer Celebration fireworks show near Luther Burbank Park, MIPD cleared out an area for the barge, upon which the fireworks were sent rocketing into the sky.

SEAFAIR WEEKEND FESTIVAL

With the Seafair Weekend Festival back after a two-year absence due to the pandemic, the MIPD Marine Patrol division will be extra busy from Aug. 5-7 as hydroplane races take place near Genesee Park and a plethora of planes take to the sky. Events are scheduled from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. each day of the festival, which won’t feature as many hydro races as in years past.

The Boeing Air Show participants will be the U.S. Navy Blue Angels Super Hornets and Fat Albert; U.S. Navy Growler F18; U.S. Air Force F35 Lightning II Demonstration Team; U.S. Coast Guard Search And Rescue; U.S. Army Golden Knights; and civilian flyers Brad Wursten, Jon Melby and Will Allen.

Like in 2019, Interstate 90 won’t be shuttered since the air show will take place further south than in previous years.

The city will be partnering with the U.S. Coast Guard, Seattle Police Department, the Washington Department of Fish and Wildlife and a host of other agencies during the weekend. Schumacher said it will be all hands on deck officer-wise and MIPD will have three vessels running. Overall, there will be a robust water presence from all agencies.

City Manager Jessi Bon said the city has been taking part in meetings focused on Seafair preparation for a couple of months. She added in her report at the July 19 city council meeting that extra officers and maintenance staff will be working on land and water all weekend and MIPD will be present in Groveland Beach Park and other south end parks.

“Our focus is on safety and boating under the influence enforcement,” she said.