Stay alive at the lake this summer

AUSTIN (KXAN) - Not to be a downer about one of summer's most iconic activities, but every year, dozens of people die in boating accidents and hundreds more are injured .

In 2008 alone, 62 people died on Texas lakes.

But there are simple steps you can take to stay alive on the lake this year.

It happens every year - people out for a good time on the lake find themselves caught in deep water, clinging to life.

Last year 38 people died in boating accidents in Texas . During the summer of 2009, two men tried to swim across Lady Bird Lake.

One man made it. Another did not.

And on Lake Travis, popular spots like Hippie Hollow, Windy Point, and Emerald Pointe become the sites of drowning deaths year after year.

But there are things you can do to keep yourself safe on the water.

First, slow down.

"If you veer off course with your boat going 30 - 40 mph you can affect another boat that's going the same speed, and that's when collisions happen," said Sgt. Len Snyder of the Lower Colorado River Authority police.

When it comes to alcohol, year after year we learn boating and drinking are a deadly combination.

Operate a boat with a blood alcohol level over .08 and you're going to jail.

Another survival tip...know where you are. If you're in an accident, giving your exact location to rescuers means they can get to you more quickly.

"It's very common for us to get just an approximation, we're near Lakeway or Lago Vista," Snyder said. "But that is miles of shoreline that we have to deal with."

Note where you put your boat in the water.

Keep a lake map on board.

Pay attention to milemarkers like these.

And consider investing in a GPS unit.

And be very careful if you boat at night..

Abide by the recommended speed of 20 miles per hour.

Make sure you have the proper lighting, and use radar technology.

But remember:

"It's important to not just get into a mode thinking," Snyder said. "We'll I don't see anything on my radar, so there must not be anything there."

Don't assume you can judge the water's depth.

And one of the smartest things you can do, wear a life jacket.

A father taking his kids on a canoe trip two summers ago is likely alive because of his life vest.

His boat capsized, and he found himself stuck in a current under a dam. His jacket kept his head above water.

"He's got his life preserver, and he's got a cushion like thing that's keeping him afloat," one of his kids told the 9-1-1 operator.

That gave rescuers time to get to get to the scene and rescue him.

A happy ending to what could have been another deadly day on the water.

Take the following precautions when you jump on that boat this summer:

• Know where you are – carry a lake map with you, pay attention to where you put your boat in the water, watch for lake mile markers which are posted every mile (evens in red and odds in green), and consider investing in a GPS unit.
• Be very careful if you boat at night – abide by the recommended speed of 20 mph, always make sure you have the proper lighting on your boat, use radar technology
• Wear a personal floatation device and make sure all of the ones on the boat are easy to get to
• Don’t drink – many boat accidents are alcohol related. Remember driving a boat with a BAC over .08 is illegal.
• Slow down – it’s hard for other boats to judge your speed. Driving a boat isn’t like driving a car.
• Don’t cliff dive – no matter how deep the water is, there’s no way to know what debris could be lurking just a few feet below the surface.