Troop B To Host Boater Safety Certification Course

Captain James E. Wilt, commanding officer of Troop B, Macon, announces a boater safety certification course will be offered from 8 a.m. to 3 p.m., on Friday, July 16, 2020, at the Long Branch Lake Corps of Engineers Visitor Center, 30174 Visitor Center Road, Macon, Missouri. There is no fee for this course; however, students are required to pre-register online as seating will be limited. There will be a break for lunch, but it will not be provided. For more information, to register for the course, or to obtain a complete listing of where other courses are being offered, you may visit the Missouri State Highway Patrol’s website, www.mshp.dps.mo.gov. A Boat Safety Education & Certification link can be found on the left side of the Patrol’s home page under “Training.” For further information please call Corporal Darren P. Mueller at (660) 385-2132.

Missouri law requires any person born after January 1, 1984, to carry a boater safety education certification card anytime they operate a vessel, which includes personal watercraft, on Missouri lakes. Captain Wilt would like to remind the public the certification is also required if you intend to operate a rental boat or personal watercraft on one of Missouri’s lakes. Participants who successfully pass the course will be eligible to order a boater safety certification card for $15. The boater safety certification card does not expire and does not need to be renewed.

Social distancing guidelines will be followed during the class. Participants may wear a face covering, but doing so is not required in order to attend the class. Face coverings will not be provided.

Watercraft operators must consider the effect their actions have on others: Share the waterway and use common sense, good judgement, and courtesy to ensure the safety of all. Life jackets save lives. Wear It!!