After several fatal accidents on the Colorado River System over Memorial Day Weekend, The Nevada Department of Wildlife reminds boaters to both boat sober and take a boating education course to reduce the risk of serious boat accidents.

The department is investigating two fatal boat accidents from this weekend not counting accidents on the Arizona side. One of the accidents was alcohol-related prompting boating officials to stress the importance of boating sober and of a better educated boating public.

"So many people don't realize what they don't know," said David Pfiffner, the game warden lieutenant at the department responsible for boating safety on the Colorado River system. "We think education is the key to making boaters safer and changing dangerous behaviors such as drinking and boating."

According to Nevada's statistics on boating, five people were killed on the Colorado River System on the Nevada side alone last year, and a staggering four of those deaths were related to alcohol. "Booze continues to be a very significant issue in boating accidents here," said Pfiffner.

The department also reminds Nevada boaters of the five-year-old state law that requires some boaters to take a boating education course before hitting the water.

According to the law, boaters born on or after Jan. 1, 1983, must take a boating education course to operate a motorboat of 15 horsepower or more on any Nevada interstate water, such as Lake Mead, Lake Mohave, and the Colorado River south of Davis Dam.

Educating boaters on safe boating practices and wearing life jackets can go a long way to reducing, and hopefully someday eliminating, boating fatalities on Nevada's waters. Many boaters who are required to take the course have not, according to Pfiffner, and NDOW will be looking closely at those boaters this summer.

Boaters can take a course from the U.S. Coast Guard Auxiliary or U.S. Power Squadrons, take a correspondence course free from NDOW or even take an Internet course offered at www.ndow.org. Boaters who wish to learn more about any of NDOW's safe boating programs can visit the web site or call (702) 486-5127.

"We think that taking a boating course is the best way to learn to avoid simple mistakes," said Bret Fendt, vice flotilla commander for the U.S. Coast Guard Auxiliary. "We teach this course regularly here in the Las Vegas area, and our students are typically much safer boaters."

Despite calls for safety, NDOW, the National Park Service and the concessionaires at the Lake Mead National Recreation Area have entered a partnership to promote safe and fun recreational boating this summer.

There are safety concerns, according to Pfiffner, but boating is still a fun and enjoyable activity. The partnership has set up a web site with a contest and links to Nevada's boating education course at www.funonthelake.com. Boaters can learn about boating safety and enter to win prizes at the recreation area.

"We want people to have fun out there," said Pfiffner. "We just want to make sure they go home safe."