Given the rise in recent incidents on Lake Michigan, the U.S. Coast Guard is reminding people to enjoy the water safely and responsibly.

Anyone planning on driving a boat should be sure to have a look-out person and the appropriate amount of survival gear on board. They remind those driving boats that the legal limit for drinking is .08.

Respect the Red Flag notifications and stay out of the water when you see them, because they indicate unsafe conditions for swimming. Stay off the piers when the waves are high.

And when conditions are good for swimming, parents should make sure to keep an eye on their children.