It's starting to really feel like summer in Minnesota, now that lakes and rivers are buzzing into the second week of June.

However, for Sgt. Rick Waldon of the Hennepin County Sheriff's Water Patrol, life is about to get more hectic.

"The temperatures are getting nicer, kids are going to be out of school, if they aren't already," Waldon said from his office deck overlooking Lake Minnetonka. "Things are going to start to pick up and we just have to think about what we're doing."

Just last Friday, for example, two serious incidents on Minnesota waterways prompted an emergency response. At the Mississippi River in Red Wing, a five-year-old was hospitalized after his family's boat stalled and was hit by a barge. On the same day, in Lake Minnetonka, a scuba diver also went missing and later died. 

While the circumstances differ from incident to incident, Sgt. Waldon said there are some general safety tips that everybody should follow:

1) Everyone should wear their lifejacket. "We wear our seatbelts and our bike helmets every time we're in the car and riding our bikes. We need to have that same mentality when we're out on the boats," Waldon said.

2) Don't drink and boat. In fact, the DNR says 30 percent of fatal boating accidents in Minnesota involve alcohol. "The use of alcohol and water don't mix," Waldon said. "A big cause of the accidents out there is alcohol. The other thing is speed."

3) Know your equipment. "Wear your lanyards, your tether switches. We had an unfortunate accident earlier this year where a gentleman was thrown out of his boat -- he was wearing his lifejacket but his tether switch had become disconnected," Waldon said. "That's something that will kill your motor. It's a safety thing."

4) Don't swim or boat alone. "Have friends with you," Waldon said.

5) Keep fire safety in mind, even when you're surrounded by water. "Fire extinguishers," Waldon reminds the public. "Boats have been in storage. This is the time of year we see things happen with fires and electrical things."

To see the original report and read related stories, follow this link to the Kare 11 News website.