By Lynndi Lockenour
With the first official days of summer just behind us, boating season is in full swing. This means longer hours patrolling Missouri’s waterways for Corporal Mike Porter of the Missouri State Water Patrol. Porter describes his work as similar to that of a policeman. “I basically do what all other state cops do,” he said, “except I patrol the water instead of the highway and I don’t have an air conditioner.”
Porter said the season usually starts with the weather and declines after Labor Day when students go back to school. “We don’t have a set date to start,” he said, “but usually the first warm day we have, people are out here.”
The Missouri State Water Patrol has the responsibility of patrolling the major waterways in the state. This includes: 272,770 acres of lakes with 5,500 miles of shoreline, 519 miles of the Mississippi River, 533 miles of the Missouri River and the tributaries along these waterways. During his 19 years of covering the Missouri waterways, Porter said he has seen some very interesting things. “Once, when I was still on the Dive Team for the Missouri State Water Patrol, we recovered the weapon used in a murder,” he said. “Though it was found six months after the murder, the fingerprints were still detectable and the guy was caught.”
First Capitol News visited the Alton Pool, also known as Pool 26, with Corporal Porter. He said this is one of the busiest locations in the area with as many as 5,000 boats on the water during a busy weekend. During boating season there is one officer on patrol during the weekdays, and two during the weekends. “Today there is only me and my partner from here to about Iowa,” Porter said.
Porter said tickets are most frequently written to people on personal watercraft vehicles (PWC). Porter said PWC vehicles make up only seven percent of registered boats, but account for 50 percent of boating accidents. “People on PWC watercrafts are usually very unaware of their surroundings,” he said, “which causes them to have accidents.” Porter said people usually claim they weren’t aware of the rules they were violating if they get pulled over. “When you get out here on the water you are responsible for all the rules,” he said, “and not knowing isn’t an excuse.”
Porter also said most people aren’t thinking about the rules when they are out on the river. “People come out here to have fun and enjoy themselves,” he said. “I argue that they can do that and be safe at the same time.” He said the most common fatality stems from intoxicated people who jump off the boat without a life jacket and try to swim. “Too often they are too intoxicated to maneuver and they end up drowning,” he said.
Recently there was a new addition to the rule book for those traveling on Missouri’s waterways. Everyone born after January 1, 1984 is required to have a license to operate a boat. These licenses can be acquired by attending a boater’s education class offered by the Missouri State Water Patrol. Porter said three or four classes have already met this spring and they will continue into the summer. Also, any boat license from another state is valid in Missouri. For information on obtaining a boaters license, contact the Water Patrol by calling their office in Jefferson City at 573-751-3333 or visiting their website at www.mswp.dps.state.gov.
Porter said the number of fatalities differs every year. “Some years we have six or eight fatalities, but other years, maybe only one,” he said. However, Porter said it seems the hotter the weather, the better chance something will go wrong. “I’m not sure why, but when the temperature is up around 100 degrees, it never fails that there will be problems.”
Porter said he chose the job because he enjoyed working outdoors, but hates it when the weather is bad. “We get guys out here ice fishing in January, so it isn’t always pleasant.” Porter said he provides a valuable service and loves helping people when he is needed. “Everyday is different,” he said, “so that keeps things interesting.” Though he enjoys his job, Porter said it isn’t for someone who wants their weekends free. “It’s guaranteed that I’ll be out here every weekend.”
Corporal Porter gets a new boat approximately every five years. He said people are constantly asking him if he’s excited, but he said not really. “After this many years, getting a new boat is like getting a new flashlight,” he said. “It’s just another tool I need to do my job properly.” When Porter first started he patrolled in a small fishing boat, but now because other boats have also gotten larger, Porter’s is now 28 feet long. “We have to continue to get larger boats to keep up with everyone else,” he said. “Otherwise they’d just run over us and never pay attention.”
Besides patrolling the rivers, the Water Patrol serves several other purposes. They include: providing safety exhibits and inspecting safety equipment in vessels; investigating water related accidents, administering first aid, investigating complaints, criminal activities and assisting other law enforcement. Other duties are: patrolling regattas, races, fishing tournaments, skiing exhibitions and other water related events, authorizing placement of navigation buoys and investigating navigational obstructions. The Water Patrol also attends boat shows in the area to give boaters information and make sure people know the rules. “People are a lot more inclined to ask questions at a boat show than out on the water,” Porter said.
Officers from Illinois also patrol the waters. Porter said they have what is called “joint jurisdiction” with Illinois water patrol unit. This means Missouri officers are allowed to arrest or pursue someone all the way to the bank of the Illinois side, but not on the land. The same is true for Illinois officers and their right to arrest someone on the Missouri side of the river, but not on the bank.
