The long Labor Day weekend, which starts Friday August 31 and continues through midnight Monday September 3, is generally considered to be the last big weekend of the summer season on area lakes.

Georgia Department of Natural Resources Law Enforcement personnel are expecting a big weekend, which at this point, could be complicated from rains forecast for later this week associated with Tropical Storm Isaac.

Thus far this year, DNR personnel have investigated, 9 boating incident-related fatalities and 33 total drownings across the state. One jet ski related fatality and three drownings have been reported on Weiss Lake this year, including 27-year-old Mat-thew Huether of Rome who drowned in an incident June 24.

Among the keys to a safe boating trip are leave the alcohol at home, wear life vests, do not overload the boat, use navigation lights at ALL times after dark and hold speed down