Missouri River Safety Day Set for May 20

The North Dakota Game and Fish Department, Cumulus Broadcasting and Gate City Banks are again sponsoring the Missouri River SPLASH – a recreation and boating safety event for everyone who enjoys the Missouri River.
The event is Thursday, May 20 in Mandan from 3-7 p.m. at Moritz Sport and Marine. Displays, hands-on activities, demonstrations, regulations, registrations and prizes are included.
Nancy Boldt, boat and water safety coordinator for the Game and Fish Department, said the event is free, and people of all ages are invited to attend. “This has been a very popular event for the entire family,” Boldt said. “There is a lot of public interaction with many different agencies, and you don’t have to stay for the entire evening. People can come and go as they please.”
Like the last couple of years, people who bring a completed boating safety exam to the event are eligible to win a special prize, Boldt said. “At the very least, if you present a certified boater card you can win a life jacket, tow-behind tube or something else,” she added.
State law requires youngsters ages 12-15 who want to operate a boat or personal watercraft with at least a 10 horsepower motor to first pass the state’s Boat North Dakota safety course. In addition, some major insurance companies give adult boat owners who pass the course a premium discount on boat insurance.
The Boat North Dakota safety course is free and available at the Game and Fish Department, or in Bismarck and Mandan at any local boat dealer, all Gate City Bank locations, and at Cumulus Broadcasting.