Authorities are warning people to play it safe during the holiday weekend

A three-day weekend can be hard — as hard as hitting lake water at 60 mph because you got drunk and fell out of a speedboat.

Or as hard as diving into shallow water because you didn’t check to see how deep it was. Or as hard as running aground on a jet ski. Or as hard as face-planting while trying to swan-dive off a dock.

With the Memorial Day weekend imminent, authorities are warning people to play it safe: drive sober, wear a seatbelt and focus on the road; and on the water, pilot boats sober, mind your speed, wear a life vest, and watch where you’re going.

Those are the usual safety tips for what we call the first weekend of summer, but we know people will make dozens of other choices that can be life or death decisions.

Swimming beyond their capabilities, could be one. That’s why authorities always emphasize life vests or personal flotation devices.

When a swimmer gets into trouble, rescuers are advised first to use a line or pole to pull them in, throw something that floats to them so they can cling to it, or go after them in a boat or other watercraft. Multiple deaths have occurred when rescuers swam out and drowned trying to save someone who was drowning.

On the open water, people who aren’t regular swimmers need to wear PDFs if they’re venturing beyond where friends can reach them.

“Wear a life jacket regardless of your swimming ability,” advises the Army Corps of Engineers. “No matter how well you swim, a fun swim could turn into a fight for your life due to conditions such as waves, current or exhaustion. Swimming ability also generally decreases with age.”

The corps also urges boaters to wear vests when they’re underway, in case they fall out:

“Falls contribute to 27 percent of boating fatalities, so wearing a life jacket increases the boater's chances of being rescued. A fall into the water can be like hitting concrete if you're moving fast…. It takes a strong swimmer an average of 10 minutes to put on a life jacket after entering the water. Unfortunately, it only takes an average of 60 seconds for an adult to drown.”

Another risk is thinking it would be cool to get all hot and sweaty before plunging into cold water, like you’re starring in an energy drink ad. Abruptly immersing yourself in cold water can so shock you that you gasp and breathe in water. “It can take less than half a cup of water in your lungs to drown,” the corps says.

It warns also that drinking alcohol while out on the water gradually can wear you down until you become tired and dizzy, aggravating a condition called "boater's hypnosis," a response “to sun, wind, noise, vibration and motion which causes fatigue and slows the boater's reaction time.”

The Alabama Department of Law Enforcement also sent out a news release urging people to avoid reckless conduct this weekend, adding these tips:

• Restrict access and closely monitor teens to prevent underage consumption of alcohol.
• Choose a designated driver or boat pilot if others will be drinking.
• Avoid distractions such as texting and talking on cell phones, and focus on driving or boating.
• Allow extra time for traveling as heavy traffic and accidents are expected, and be extra cautious in construction zones.
• Watch the weather forecast, and remain alert for lightning while out on the water.

This story was originally published May 24, 2017 at 12:56 PM with the headline "Authorities are warning people to play it safe during the holiday weekend."