(Wahpeton)– A new law affecting the operation of personal watercraft in Iowa will be put to the test over the upcoming Memorial Day Weekend.
Gary Owen, an enforcement officer with the D-N-R’s Lakes Patrol, says the new law went into affect the first of the year. He says it requires boating safety education for anyone between 12 and 17 years-old that wishes to operate personal watercraft (waverunners, jet skis, etc.). Owen says it’s been established as a take-home course that’s been offered in the past on a voluntary basis. Those who need to take it should contact the D-N-R’s district office at the Fish Hatchery in Orleans at 336-1840.
Owen says a big upswing in the number of accidents, most of them involving personal watercraft, is what led to the new requirement.
Violation of the law carries a 100-dollar fine. Officers will give operators 30 days to prove they’ve taken the course. And if they take the course during that period, the citation will be canceled.
