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May 20, 2026 – The Illinois Department of Natural Resources and Illinois Conservation Police are reminding boaters to wear life jackets and avoid operating watercraft under the influence as Memorial Day weekend approaches and summer boating season begins.
National Safe Boating Week runs May 16-22 and is intended to promote water safety awareness ahead of the busy holiday weekend.
According to the Illinois Conservation Police, there were 81 reportable boating accidents in Illinois during 2025, resulting in 12 fatalities and 37 injuries. Officials said many accidents occur on weekends between June and August, most often during the afternoon hours under otherwise favorable weather conditions.
Conservation officials said the majority of boating accidents involve operators between the ages of 20 and 40 who have significant boating experience but little formal boating safety training. Most incidents involve open motorboats being operated carelessly or recklessly and ending in collisions with other boats.
Jed Whitchurch, director of the IDNR Office of Law Enforcement, said safe boating requires all waterway users to follow boating laws, maintain proper safety equipment, observe no-wake zones and stay aware of changing weather conditions.
Illinois law requires that a U.S. Coast Guard-approved life jacket be available for every person on board a watercraft. State law also requires anyone operating a personal watercraft or jet ski to wear a life jacket at all times. Children under 13 must wear a properly fitted life jacket while on the deck of a boat or aboard an open watercraft, with limited exceptions.
Officials are also warning against boating under the influence. In 2025, Illinois Conservation Police arrested 72 boaters for operating under the influence. Seven of the state’s 12 boating fatalities involved alcohol or drug impairment, according to IDNR statistics.
The department offers free boating safety courses throughout Illinois that cover boating laws, regulations and safe operation practices. Illinois law requires anyone born on or after Jan. 1, 1998, to complete a boating safety course and carry a valid Boating Safety Certificate to operate a motorboat with more than 10 horsepower.
Conservation police said they will continue increased enforcement efforts on Illinois waterways throughout the summer boating season.
