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Oregon Road Conditions & Cams Email Story to a Friend May 29, 2005 Officials will increase water patrols over holiday weekend as precaution Boaters and swimmers will see more police on Jackson County lakes and rivers this weekend. Sheriff’s deputies will cruise each of the county’s major waterways at least once by Monday, said sheriff’s Sgt. Pat Rowland. High water levels in local lakes are expected to attract many swimmers and boaters, Rowland said. No drownings and only two minor rafting accidents were reported in county waterways last year, Rowland said. The county’s most recent boating fatality was on June 15, 2003, when Daron Jay Bucholz, 23, of Medford fell from a canoe into a private pond near Central Point and drowned. Fishing with three other men, Bucholz could not swim and was not wearing a life jacket. Oregon’s boating fatalities have dropped since the state started requiring boater safety courses, Rowland said. This year, Oregonians 45 and younger must obtain a boater safety card to operate a power boat with 10 or more horsepower. Advertisement Last year’s boating deaths were the state’s fewest — at eight — since 1996, according to statistics gathered by the Oregon State Marine Board. Statewide boating fatalities in the past decade hit a high point of 20 in 1998 before tapering off then spiking back to 18 in 2003, the Marine Board reported. Of the state’s boating fatalities each year, 30 percent involve alcohol, officials said. Boating under the influence applies to operators of motorized and non-motorized watercraft alike. Anyone who paddles a non-motorized craft is considered an operator. If convicted of boating under the influence, offenders cannot operate a boat for a year and could lose their boat registrations for three years. Mail Tribune Home | Local News | Sports | Business | Obituaries | Life | Opinion AP News | Archives | Site Map | Community | Classified Copyright © 1997-2005 Mail Tribune, Inc. All rights reserved. Privacy Policy | Terms & Conditions | Website Feedback www.bingo.com Home Security Systems Trunks, Footlocker dvd-r Distance Education Computer Security Ztech Media Hosting Sports Equipment Online Casino Student Loans tcg student loan consolidation Online Pharmacy Online Casino Reviews Myspace Home Equity Loans Windermere Van Vleet Rogue Valley Travel Discount Hotel Reservations Southern Oregon Loans Online Casino News Casino Gambling Sites Budget Website Templates Online Bingo Entertainment Guide Advertisement s