Reining In The Reckless Spokane County Sheriff’S Water Patrol Targets Recent Irresponsible Behavior By Personal Watercraft Operators

Sean Michels didn’t mutter obscenities to himself, or gnash his teeth.

The 17-year-old from Nine Mile Falls kept cool during a random safety inspection of his father’s personal watercraft.

It turned out he had nothing to hide from the Spokane County sheriff’s water patrol at Long Lake. Lifejackets, whistle, engine kill switch, fire extinguisher, registration. It was all there.

Michels passed with ease, other than having a seriously soggy registration in a plastic bag.

“Get someone who’s causing trouble,” Michels told a pair of sheriff’s deputies as he and his 15-year-old friend, Trevor Stites, sped away. “Someone almost ran us over.”

That’s precisely the point.

Goofing around on the water has always been a summer pastime for teens and many adults. But this year, Spokane County sheriff’s deputies are doing more to discourage the reckless behavior that can lead to disaster.

The Sheriff’s Department has four boats and four personal watercraft to cover the waterways. There is one full-time deputy devoted to water patrol year round; two between April and September.

In the wake of recent accidents involving a 12-year-old and an 8-year-old at the controls of the powerful machines, deputies are on extra alert. An additional 12 deputies have been trained in marine law to beef up patrols on weekends for the rest of the summer, said sheriff’s spokesman Dave Reagan.

Educating boaters is a daunting task, considering the Washington Boater’s Guide tops out at a labyrinthine 80 pages.

Most people caught breaking the law plead ignorance, Reagan said, adding that most people just don’t bother to read the guide.

The most common violations are for children under 14 running personal watercraft. Then there’s the ever-popular revving up in a no-wake zone near shore, operating with an expired registration and trying to jump another boat’s wake. Many people also don’t realize the speed limit is 50 mph during the day, and 15 mph after dusk.

Personal watercraft have to obey boating rules just like bicycles obey the rules of the road, Reagan said.

Still, many just don’t get it.

“She’s in violation right there,” Reagan said of a woman revving away in the no-wake zone. “That’s $66 (for a ticket).”

The woman didn’t get one. Deputies were still docked.

Even if she were caught, chances are good she’d just get a warning. On three daily shifts this weekend, Reagan said he personally wrote only one ticket, even though he could have written many more.

“I want people to have fun,” said Reagan, who spends much of his time on the water patrol. “We’re not out here to ruin people’s days.”

But clearly, spending 10 minutes on a gorgeous sunny day on the lake going through a safety inspection is a deterrent.

There have been no drownings on Spokane County waterways so far this year, but two Spokane women were injured when watercraft driven by children ran ashore. Those accidents helped prompt the increased patrols.

Many of accidents involve alcohol, Reagan said, though alcohol is usually less of a factor with personal watercraft than boats, Reagan said. That’s because it takes more dexterity to operate them in the first place. And, there’s no place to store booze.

Personal watercraft have been vilified in many parts of the country for the noise and wave disruption to fishermen and property owners, besides tales of horrific accidents.

Safety restrictions have gained more teeth recently, now that Americans own 1.2 million of the machines. That comprises 11 percent of all registered watercraft throughout the country, but 35 percent of all accidents involve personal watercraft.

The Washington State Supreme Court recently upheld a ban of the machines around the San Juan Islands, and this month the National Park Service recommended a ban in all national parks, including Mount Rainier, where they are currently allowed.

Laura Dierks, a 40-year-old personal watercraft enthusiast and member of the Inland Northwest Personal Watercraft Association, bristles at the restrictions and fears a ban may come here someday. She has a sticker on her new Kawasaki that reads “Jet Skiing is not a crime. Don’t make it one. Drive safely.”

Dierks said she thinks teens ought to take a training course to use personal watercraft, much like driving a car.

With machines that weigh between 300 and 600 pounds, are capable of speeds of up to 60 mph, combined with youthful daring, deputies say it’s a volatile mix.

“You give anybody that kind of power and you know they’ll take advantage of it,” said Jeremy Moorhead of Spokane while relaxing on shore.