Officials urge boaters take safety precautions

Officials in Chicago are urging anyone thinking of taking a boat onto Lake Michigan to be careful.

Memorial Day weekend is typically when more boats start dotting the lake and officials say boaters should make sure they wear life jackets and avoid drinking excessively.

But in a news release, the city's Office of Emergency Management and Communications says boaters can take other steps that will make them safer. They say, for example, the U.S. Coast Guard has found that boaters with some kind of formal safety training are far less likely to be involved in fatal boating accidents.

The agency also says boaters shouldn't rely on cell phones, but should use a marine VHF radio because cell phone coverage is often spotty out on the lake.