MEAD, Okla. -- It's Labor Day weekend, and many vacationers are excited to celebrate the traditional end-of-summer holiday.

But U.S. Army Corps of Engineers Chief Ranger Billy Williams says this weekend is busy for them for a different reason.

"Everyone's going to be out on the lake this weekend wanting to have a good time," he said. "We want everyone to have a good time, but we are definitely going to be watching out for all those safety-related issues -- whether they are on the water or in our campgrounds."

Rangers say the biggest mistake boaters make is forgetting to watch their surroundings and failing to pack the proper safety equipment.

The law states that children 12 and under are required to wear a life jacket if the boat is in motion, and it's always a good rule of thumb to have a properly-fitted life vest for each person on the boat.

TowBoatU.S. Lake Texoma will also ready to respond to any incidents. Co-owner Joe Willis said they deal with "a lot of broke-down boaters, a lot of lost boaters, probably a few boat sinkings."

Just last week, a vessel caught fire and Willis' company was called to render aid. 

"We will be here. We're always here, 24/7 , all year long, and we will have boats out all weekend, ready to assist," said Roxan Winner, also a co-owner of TowBoatU.S. Lake Texoma.

"We want at the end of the weekend to know that everyone had a good time and that it had been done safely," Billy Williams added.

It's all fun and games until someone gets hurt, and making a few sensible preparations might just save a life.

Phone Numbers

  • TowBoatU.S. Lake Texoma: 903-267-0767.
  • U.S Corps of Engineers: 903-465-4990