Boating Safety

Download Boater Safety Class Schedule

Staff

The Boating / Marine Safety Section is supervised by Deputy Jesse Smith. It is staffed by part-time Boating / Marine Safety Officers from Memorial Day to Labor Day. Pursuant to Michigan Public Act 303, the Marine Safety Act of 1967, the County Sheriff has jurisdiction on waters in the county.

Functions

This section performs certain functions to insure the safe operation of watercraft on county waterways. Marine Safety personnel inspect and license boat liveries, conduct classes in boating safety, enforce safe boating laws on county waterways and function as surface support to the Underwater Search and Recovery Team.

Underwater Search & Recovery Team

The Underwater Search and Recovery Team (USRT) is also part of the Marine Safety Section. The team consists of ten certified Deputies who are trained for rapid response and management of aquatic accident scenes as well as non-emergency underwater recovery operations.

Each year hundreds of lives are lost... thousands are injured... and millions of dollars of property damage occurs because of preventable recreational boating accidents on U.S. waterways. Too often pleasure outings turn tragic. You - as a boat operator, passenger, or concerned individual - can make a difference.

- U.S. Coast Guard