LORTON, Va. β The weather is warming up, and more people are headed out on the water. If you're one of those boaters, you can expect to see Fairfax County Police out there right alongside you.
"We're on the water 7 days a week in the summertime," said Master Police Officer Timothy Judd.
He and Master Police Officer Michael Green took WUSA9 cameras out on the water Monday morning, as they patrolled Pohick Bay, and along the Potomac River.
"Including lakes and ponds in Fairfax County, we have more than 80 miles of shoreline," said Judd.
They launched from Pohick Bay and made their way towards the Potomac River.
"This is one of our busier areas," said Judd.
The officers say usually there are lots of people out on the water, on boats, jet skis and wakeboards.
"On a nice day, you'll see 50 boats anchored up," he told WUSA9.
He says they spend a lot of time making sure everyone's following the rules, especially when it comes to 'no wake zones'.
"This is the start of the D.C. no wake zone," he explained as we made our way towards the Woodrow Wilson Bridge.
"In Virginia, it simply says no wake. Which means the minimum speed to maintain steerage. But in D.C., there are signs that say speed limit 6," he said.
While those rules change between jurisdictions, other rules don't.
"You have to have a life vest for every passenger. You have to have a throw device, a working fire extinguisher, a horn, whistle," said Judd.
You also need to know the rules of the water, like when it comes to sailboats.
"Sailboats have right of way over power boats. They're not as maneuverable as a powerboat so we have to give way to him," he said.
He also told WUSA9 that people often underestimate the current, especially under the George Washington Parkway.
"A couple years ago, we had a drowning here. A couple people decided to swim across from right to left. This doesn't look bad from the surface, but what's happening right here is all of the water inside is pushing or pulling out and all going through a single point. So, the current right here rips and when they swam across it simply pushed them out and they never made it to the other shore," explained Judd.
On this Memorial Day, he says a big concern is the weather.
"The biggest thing is to keep a close eye on the weather. Especially with the technology nowadays. A lot of times there's a gale warning or small craft advisory on the river" said Judd.
He told WUSA9 it's important people listen to those warnings.
"We'll get 3-foot swells over here and the waves will go up over the boat," said Judd.
He says that boaters should use common sense. "If it starts getting dark and winds pick up get off the water. Tie off and wait for the storm to pass".
He said they'll often tie up along the shore in case anyone needs help
"A lot of times when it gets that way, we'll stay on the water but tie off at a park or something and wait out the storm. Just because a lot of people will not make the right decision and try to come in when there's a storm," he said.
The concern doesn't end once the storm passes. The officers say there's often a lot of debris left behind.
"You basically have a tree sticking out of the water right there," said Officer Green, as he pointed out debris floating in the water.
"It can impale you," he said.
Officers say debris poses an even bigger threat once the sun sets.
"One of the biggest hazards at night is you won't see those," said Judd.
Whether rain or shine, you can expect officers to be out on the water, looking out for your safety.
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