SAN DIEGO (KGTV) — Labor Day weekend will no doubt be busy along the coast.
Harbor police are gearing up for a busy holiday weekend on the water and urging people to be cautious.
Earlier this week, police say a 29-year-old woman was the passenger on a jet ski that lost control on the San Diego Bay and struck the rocks. She is expected to survive, but was taken to a hospital with serious injuries.
And last month, a 12-year-old girl who was paddleboarding on Mission Bay died after a man on a jet ski hit her.
“A lot of jet skis once you release the power or gas, you have no steering capability. So that’s where a lot of our accidents come into play,” said Officer Joseph Hilton, San Diego Police Dept. Harbor Unit. “People see they’re about to hit something or they’re going too fast, and then they just release the gas, but then they have no control over where that jet ski goes.”
Hilton says the Harbor Unit will have extra patrols out this holiday weekend to make sure every person operating a motorized vessel on either bay is carrying their California Boater Safety Card and to make sure people are driving responsibly.
“You can get a BUI on the water it’s the same as any DUI,” said Hilton. “Water and alcohol never mix. My advice… if you’re going to be the operator, don’t drink.”
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