VOLUSIA COUNTY, Fla. – Memorial Day weekend brought big crowds to Volusia County’s waterways, marking the first major boating weekend of the summer.
Volusia County Sheriff’s Office Sgt. Matt Seltzer said the Intracoastal Waterway was far busier than usual, with more boat traffic than he had ever seen.
“On a normal weekend you know your locals, you know the people routinely out here and over the past three days, especially on Saturday I’ve seen more boats that I’ve never seen before,” Seltzer said.
With the added crowds came added responsibility. Seltzer said while the goal is always to ensure everyone is having a good time safely, enforcement is sometimes necessary.
“Sometimes you have to get them a boating citation and unfortunately it does hit the pocket a little bit but word starts to spread that law enforcement is out there,” he said.
Officers still found probable cause to make stops, even under Florida’s new Boater Freedom Act, which limits random safety checks. Small details — like misplaced registration decals or missing vessel numbers — were enough to prompt a closer look.
“The registration decals are different colors. A lot of times we see them on wrong sides or sometimes not even at all. Same thing with the FL numbers on that boat or on that vessel. Something as small as that could lead to something a lot bigger,” Seltzer said.
Equipment failures were among the biggest concerns of the weekend. The U.S. Coast Guard rescued seven people approximately 22 miles off the coast of New Smyrna Beach after their boat broke down. Seltzer urged boaters to check their gear before heading out.
“Is all your equipment right and properly working? There’s been several boats we’ve seen that their motors are up and they’re working on it trying to get it back working again,” Seltzer said.
The response was a true team effort. New Smyrna Beach police, Daytona Beach police and the U.S. Coast Guard all patrolled the waterways alongside the Volusia County Sheriff’s Office. Officials said joint training exercises held throughout the year help prepare agencies for high-traffic weekends like this one.