ASHEVILLE, N.C. — North Carolina's Wildlife Commission says 29 people have died in boating accidents this year, making it the deadliest in the past 20 years.
Commission officials tell the Asheville Citizen-Times that victims weren't wearing life jackets in 23 of those deaths. In six deaths, alcohol was a factor.
[Woman charged after fatal two-boat crash on Badin Lake]
The commission will activate its annual "On the Road, On the Water, Don't Drink and Drive" campaign this Labor Day weekend.
In North Carolina, a driver or boat operator with a blood-alcohol concentration that meets or exceeds .08 percent could be arrested.
[Mother and son drown when fishing boat capsizes in SC lake]
Commission records dating to 1981 show the highest number of deaths in boating accidents was 37 in 1990. Last year, the number of deaths fell to a low of 13.
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Associated Press
