A boating accident disrupted the July 4 celebration at Lake Tobosofkee in Macon.
"The speed boat crossed into the path of the pontoon boat and struck the rope," says Lake Tobo's Director Doug Furney. "It pulled the raft with the kids on board, it wrapped around, and the kids hit the side of the speed boat."
The children suffered cuts and bruises to the head. It's a minor accident that could've been avoided.
"The operator with the twelve people on the pontoon boat, that's a distraction. And the other people, they were having some boat trouble from what I understand," says Furney.
The accident happened because both drivers weren't paying attention to their surrounds. According to the U.S Coast Guard Boating Safety Division, the number one reason for accidents is operator inattention.
Most boating accidents happen in June and July, that's according to the U.S.C.G.
Bobby Daniels from Forsyth drove to the Marina with his girlfriend. They chose to boat the day after July 4th because "the waters are more calm."
He also witnessed an accident on a lake in south Georgia. "We were out riding int he boat and the boat turned into another pontoon boat."
Furney says, "We had a really bad accident a few years ago, the worst we ever had out here. One was going the right side, the other was going too fast for conditions. The two collided and we had two people killed."
To lower the risk of accidents, drivers should observe rules of the water when they take the wheel.
"It's just like a highway. You come up on the right, you go back down on the other side. If you're going around on a blind point, you're supposed to reduce your speed and go to the far right as you can," he says.
Since there are no traffic lanes in the water, always stay alert.