If anyone needed a reminder about the importance of boating safety, they got one.

One teenager was killed and another seriously injured in an accident Sunday on Lake Caroline in Madison County, again showing the dangers that can be associated with boating.

Willie Harris, an officer with the Mississippi Department of Wildlife,

Fisheries and Parks stationed at Natchez State Park who conducts boat safety inspections and monitors local waterways, said he is going to use the accident in his boating safety classes as an illustration of what can happen when proper precautions aren’t taken.

&8220;I taped some of the segments off the news to use in my classes,&8221; Harris said. &8220;It’ll be a helpful reinforcement.&8221;

Neither Lanie Kealhofer, who was killed, or Rachel Blackledge, who lost part of her leg when she was dragged under the boat and past the propeller, or the other two people in the boat were wearing a life jacket, something officials said may have helped save Kealhofer’s life.

State conservation officer Charlie Waggener said it doesn’t appear the group was doing anything wrong to cause the accident, which threw both girls out of the boat. Their boat hit rough water caused by other boats, while the girls were standing in the front of the boat.

The Memorial Day weekend is the traditional kickoff of the heaviest part of the boating season, and local officials are taking note. Harris will be out on the Old River and Deer Park patrolling, and the Concordia Parish Sheriff’s Office said it will step up patrols on lakes in the parish to help ensure the safety of boaters.

Both Mississippi and Louisiana offer boating safety classes to certify boat operators and provide helpful safety information.

Personal flotation devices, or life jackets, must be worn by anyone under age 12 in Mississippi, but Harris recommends anyone in a boat wear them.

&8220;We try to push life jackets,&8221; Harris said. &8220;If you fall out and you’re unconscious, you need one. I ask people in my classes, &8216;Can you swim unconscious?’ If you’re unconscious and not wearing a life jacket, you’re 80 or 90 percent likely to drown.&8221;

Harris said boating under the influence is a big risk factor for accidents.

&8220;Alcohol use is a big problem starting about this time of year,&8221; Harris said.

Harris said he recommends riders stay out of the bow, or front part of the boat, while the vehicle is in operation.

&8220;It’s too easy to fall off if you’re up there,&8221; Harris said. &8220;That happened to those girls, and one of them was dragged underneath the propeller.&8221;