Holiday weekends almost always seem to bring trouble.

Whether it’s crime, tragedy or both, few holidays seem to go by without it.

This year the Fourth of July weekend meant the Jonesville community lost two men to a drowning on the Black River.

Kevin Posey and Michael Mason were fishing when something went wrong. Their bodies were found hours later. They weren’t wearing life jackets.

A few years ago, the July 4 tragedy changed several families forever.

In 2007 Michael “Cody” McJohnson was driving a pickup truck too fast when he skidded off a cliff on Briel Avenue. His young passengers, Nicholas Kirby, Justin Wiley and Kristin Holmes, all died.

McJohnson is serving jail time for DUI negligent homicide.

Unfortunately both holiday accidents were preventable.

The sheriff who aided in the search for Posey and Mason said life jackets would have made a difference.

The police investigating the McJohnson case immediately identified alcohol as the cause.

Holidays are for fun, relaxation and family. But we can’t let our guard down so much that lives are endangered.