POLK COUNTY, Fla. (WFLA) – Officers are taking on new responsibilities as they patrol Tampa Bay waters during a holiday weekend in a pandemic.

“Large groups – you try to encourage them to disperse and try to follow the CDC guidelines. As long as they have masks, or keep that six-foot distance,” said Officer Specialist Bryce Phillippi with Florida Fish & Wildlife Conservation Commission. “you might not be able to come up to them and talk to them. You might be able to do it over the public address system.”

Officers are masked while patrolling and regularly clean their vessels. It’s the new reality as they work to ensure everyone’s safety during the busy holiday weekend.

“This is one of the best places that gets patrolled very often,” said Anthony DiFonzo, who was on Lake Shipp in Winter Haven Friday, scouting out the area ahead of a fishing tournament.

He and his father live together and find fishing an easy way to enjoy themselves while social distancing.

He passed an impromptu safety check performed by Officer Phillippi.

“It’s very important to keep people safe on the water because there’s a lot of people out here that don’t abide by it,” said DiFonzo.

The Tampa Bay area has seen an uptick in propeller-related injuries, according to Officer Phillippi.

“We want to remind boaters, when they’re getting on and off the boat, make sure the motor is off,” he said. “You want to make sure that the operator is wearing the engine cut off switch. If you’re going up to an island or a sandbar, you don’t want to power it on and power it off. There could be people in the water. It’s very dangerous.”

Boaters also need to have life jackets, fire extinguishers, and in some situations, throwable devices, without any tears.

“You want to make sure that your flares are good. If you’re required to have flares. Check the expiration date on them. You can also do a little visual look at it to make sure that they’re not bulging or splitting or anything like that,” said Phillippi.

Boaters who do not pass a safety check can be given either a warning or a citation.

Officer Phillippi and Tony Howard, a boater

“We get busy in our daily lives and really don’t remember everything we’re supposed to have. Don’t take the time out to figure it out sometimes, but it’s good awareness,” said Tony Howard, of Plant City, who was out on his pontoon Friday.

FWC also reminds boaters to designate a sober operator.

In 2019, approximately 32% of operators involved in fatal accidents were under the influence of alcohol or drugs, according to FWC.

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