Lake Pleasant, AZ (AZFamily) — The Maricopa County Sheriff's Office was expecting thousands of people to visit Lake Pleasant over Labor Day weekend, especially on Labor Day.
They want people to enjoy themselves and urge those visiting the lake to be prepared and stay safe.
With temperatures expected to exceed 100 degrees, MCSO urges lake visitors to bring plenty of water, sunscreen and shade such as umbrellas, tents or hats.
MCSO's Lake Patrol Division will be increasing personnel on and around the water to help keep everyone safe over the holiday.
Sergeant Charles Grickers said safety measures would include cracking down on people not wearing life jackets.
“We will not tolerate any life jackets being worn on the water. For example, if we see a child under 12 on a paddle board without a life jacket, the parent will be fined.”
The Drunk Driving Enforcement Task Force will also be stationed at Lake Pleasant to crack down on drunk drivers and boaters.
Sergeant Gricarz said officers had prevented hundreds of intoxicated visitors from driving their cars.
But he urges visitors to plan wisely and avoid making life-changing decisions.
“It doesn't have to be a motorboat, you can just be on a paddle board. There have been drownings where people have had too much to drink on the shoreline and try to swim to the lake even though they are 20 or 30 yards from the shoreline, but unfortunately they were not wearing life jackets and ended up going underwater and drowning,” he said.
If you decide to go to Lake Pellasant and have a drink, make sure you have a plan and know the answers to the following questions, Sergeant Gricarz said.
- Who drinks when?
- Who can be a designated driver?
- Should your group use rideshare?
- Should I bring an extra car?
- Can someone come pick me up?
- If I can't drive, is there somewhere I can stay?
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