Maricopa County Sheriff’s Office stresses lake safety headed into Memorial Day weekend

PHOENIX — It’s expected to be a busy Memorial Day weekend at Maricopa County lakes.

With two drowning deaths at county lakes already this year, the Sheriff’s Office has some tips to keep you and your family safe.

County officials held a press conference at Scorpion Bay Marina at Lake Pleasant Thursday to talk about some of the most common lake violations they’ve seen this year.

“Eleven people have been arrested for boating under the influence, 16 have been arrested for reckless operation, there have been over 100 wake zone violations,” said Under Sheriff Jeff Gentry.

Some other common violations are water skiing without an observer, riding on the bow and unregistered boats. Kids 12 and under are required by state law to wear a life jacket on the water and everyone else needs to have one accessible.

The Arizona Game and Fish Department has 28 life jacket loaner stations located throughout the state. Sizes range from kids to fully grown adults.

“We’ve got life jacket loaner stations at almost all the Salt River chain lakes. We’ve got them at Apache, Canyon, Saguaro, they’re at Bartlett, there’s two here at Pleasant,” said Boating Safety Education Program Coordinator Josh Hoffman.

Maricopa County has seen multiple boating accidents this year

The Maricopa County Sheriff’s Office has already responded to 14 boating accidents this year, five of which included injuries. Tragically, there’s also been four boating related deaths this year, according to Gentry. One from a crash and three from carbon monoxide poisoning.

The county’s volunteer posse will also be available at lakes this holiday weekend to support law enforcement and first responders.

“They’ll be out there with cooling stations, medical support and extra resources staged nearby to reduce response times,” Gentry said.

“Those recreating outside this weekend also need to be aware of the heat. Anyone planning on hiking should start early in the morning when it’s cooler out. Bring more water than you think you need with you and turn back when your water is half gone.

Make sure you follow Arizona’s boating laws if you plan to hit any of our lakes this Memorial Day weekend. 🚤🇺🇸 @KTAR923 pic.twitter.com/wQFlBQfiS5

— Heidi Hommel (@heidi_hommel) May 23, 2025

“Don’t hike alone and know your own limitations. Heatstroke is not something you can just push through,” Gentry said.

Last summer, of the 285 medical and rescue calls, more than 80% were heat related. And there have already been 50 medical and rescue calls this year before summer has even started.

“Maricopa County and our lakes in particular are a treasure. Let’s enjoy it responsibly and take care of each other out there,” Gentry said.

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