It usually starts around Memorial Day weekend, but with the onset of warm weather, people are looking to cure "cabin fever" on East Tennessee's numerous lakes and waterways.

Which brings two heartbreaking stories from this weekend.

On Friday, a boat was found idling on Norris Lake minus its occupants. Someone heard cries for help and flagged down a passing boater to investigate. As of now they are still searching for the missing occupants. Officials say it was a father and son on their first outing in their new boat. There aren't any official conclusions, but details from the scene lead to obvious speculation about what probably happened.

Saturday, a 62 year old man drowned while canoeing on the Tennessee River/Fort Loudoun Lake with his dog. According to this article, "Authorities were alerted to the scene at 8:46 p.m. when people at a nearby park saw Humphrey's empty canoe in the water and witnessed Lucy, who swam to shore, standing on the water's edge and barking."

Sadly, there were two terrible tragedies in as many days. It's unlikely anyone will ever know for sure what happened in either case. One thing is for sure, though. If you are going into open water for any reason, you really should be wearing a personal floatation device. Even if you're an Olympic-class swimmer, there are too many things that can go wrong. The same applies if you're in an inherently unstable craft such as a canoe or a kayak.

As a kid, the best thing I learned from Red Cross water safety/life saving classes was the "reach, throw, row, go" protocol for potential drowning rescue situations.

First try to reach the victim from the safety of land or the boat, by hand, with a paddle or oar, a fishing rod, a stick, a rope, a towel, anything. If that's not possible, find something to throw to the victim such as a life vest, seat cushion, boat fender, plastic jug, cooler, or anything that floats. If that's not possible, try to reach the victim by boat, canoe, inner tube, or whatever other floating vessel might be about (but do not approach the victim under power). Entering the water to attempt a swimming rescue is always the last resort. All too frequently the result is two victims, even if the rescuer is trained and in good physical condition.

As the summer boating season approaches, boating safety cannot be stressed enough. The Tennessee Wildlife Resources Agency is primarily responsible for safety and enforcement on Tennessee waterways. They have safe boating courses and now require anyone born after Jan. 1, 1989 to pass a boating safety exam and carry a certification card. There is more information here, including a free online boating safety course.

Here are some other useful Tennessee boating and water safety links: