Deputies patrol Mohawk River for boater safety

MONTGOMERY COUNTY, N.Y. (NEWS10) -The longest stretch of the Mohawk River is patrolled by the Montgomery County Sheriff’s Office: 53 miles. NEWS10's Anthony Krolikowski joined Lieutenant Justin Smith with a life jacket and camera for less than five miles of his patrol and got to see the latest upgrades to the county’s boat.

As boats move across the Mohawk River, Lieutenant Smith waves to the passengers all while checking off a mental safety list in his head. “This boat’s traveling at a safe speed. Making sure there’s no reckless operation. He’s obviously registered. He’s got everything that he needs.”

With a thumbs up, both boats continued on their travels. The lieutenant, his partner and Krolikowski went westbound from the Schoharie Boat Launch in Glen to Fonda. Their main concerns? Life vests and alcohol, and they’ll stop anyone boating recklessly.

Everyone they saw passed their drive-by inspection. There haven’t been any boating accidents this year either, according to Lieutenant Smith. If anything does happen, the 2001 boat has recently been upgraded with help from a $89,000 grant. “We upgraded it with state-of-the-art sonar, state-of-the-art depth finding, a brand-new motor, all new electronics.”

The boat can now also sense and be sensed by other boats and find those in need with GPS. All this new technology has already had a big impact on the department’s rescue efforts, even giving mutual aid to Fulton County. “This is a beautiful place to be on a boat and we want to make sure that it’s safe for everybody," said Lieutenant Smith.