SPRINGFIELD — The Illinois Department of Natural Resources and Illinois Conservation Police are reminding boaters to wear life jackets and never operate a boat while under the influence as the summer boating season begins. Illinois recorded 81 reportable boating accidents in 2025, resulting in 12 deaths and 37 injuries. Conservation police also arrested 72 people for operating a boat while under the influence. State law requires a life jacket for every person aboard a watercraft, and children younger than 13 must wear one while on the deck of a boat or in an open watercraft.
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