DURHAM, N.C. (WTVD) -- As North Carolinians head to the water to enjoy the final stretch of summer, wildlife officials are issuing a critical reminder about boat safety.

Last year, North Carolina recorded 148 boating incidents, resulting in 14 deaths, according to data from NC Wildlife . As of the end of June this year, there had already been 42 more crashes, four of them fatal.

The number one cause of boating accidents is operator distraction.

"There are rules of the water, just like there is on vehicles," said Sgt. Tim Godwin, a law enforcement officer with the North Carolina Wildlife Resources Commission. "The vast majority of the time, it's just operator inattention, paying attention to something out veering off course, you know, colliding with something either fixed object or a

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