CLINTON, Ill. (WAND) - Illinois Conservation Police remind boaters to stay safe on the water this summer.

With Memorial Day weekend around the corner, conservation police gear up for a busy summer of patrolling central Illinois lakes.

"If we have good weather Memorial Day weekend, we can probably be one of the busiest days of the summer," said acting Capitan John Williamson of the Illinois Conservation Police.

Williamson said last summer was a very busy summer on Clinton Lake. He attributed that to the COVID-19 shutdown, saying more people used their vacation money to buy boats, jet skis and RV's.

"We saw a lot of new boaters. We saw a lot of new people out on the water and it was a really busy summer last summer and we are expecting that again this year," Williamson said. 

Conservation police said officers will be looking for impaired boat operators. They remind boaters if they plan to drink, to make sure they have a sober driver.

"Boats don't have brakes, so you've got to think ahead of where you are going and how you are going to operate. That's something that alcohol does, it impairs that judgment of being able to think and keep a safe control of the boat," explained Williamson.

Each year, nearly 6-8 boats go into the water because drivers aren't launching them correctly or they are getting in a hurry. Illinois Conservation Police said the best way to stay safe is make sure everyone is out of the vehicle before launching. Keep all distractions to a minimum, like turning off the radio. Make sure the windows are down, and for new boaters, make sure they know the mechanics of both the vehicle launching the boat and the boat itself.