The recent Labor Day holiday weekend yielded a reduction in fatalities but a rise in boating accidents across Texas compared to the same time last year, the Texas Parks and Wildlife Department (TPWD) reported.

According to a September 6 press release issued by TPWD, game wardens reported nine boating accidents, with some involving personal watercraft, occurring between August 31 and September 2.

Among these incidents, one accident involved a boating-related fatality and another an open-water drowning.

During Labor Day Weekend 2023, the release said that five boating accidents, two boating-related fatalities, and two open-water drownings occurred.

The Texas Department of Public Safety (DPS) reported that the boating-related death occurred at Amistad Reservoir, which was also the location of a Labor Day 2023 fatality. Lewisville Lake was the site of the open-water drowning.

Texas Game Warden Assistant Commander for Marine Enforcement Cody Jones said in the release that his agency is saddened by the loss of life during the holiday weekend. He added that the rise in boating accidents presents a cause for concern.

Jones hopes the accidents remind the public of the importance of taking a boater education course.

According to TPWD, though Labor Day Weekend usually marks the end of the unofficial boating season and likely decreases the number of vessels on the state’s lakes, rivers, and coast, game wardens continue to stress the importance of boat safety.

Anyone who plans to go boating is urged to wear life jackets, operate at a safe speed, be aware of passengers and swimmers before starting the motor, avoid alcohol, and follow rules and regulations in the Texas Water Safety Act to ensure safety.