Thousands Expected at Oklahoma Lakes Memorial Day Weekend

By Jacqueline Sit, NEWS 9

EDMOND, Oklahoma – Thousands are expected to hit the lake this Memorial Day weekend and police say safety is first priority, and there are a few things lake goers need to know.

Moms like Amanda Hatfield are camping out with her little ones at Arcadia Lake for the first time and the step up in security gives her peace of mind.

"With two little ones you don't want a bunch of people screaming, hollering and I'm really glad there are going to be a lot of law enforcement," Hatfield said.

Arcadia Lake employee said camper spots have been filled up since Tuesday.

"It was definitely unexpected," said Nicole Offutt with the City of Edmond Arcadia Lake. "In the past, we would normally be booked by Thursday, so we're stepping up to prepare for the crowd. In my 10 years of working in Arcadia Lake, I've never seen all the camp sites booked up in before Thursday. A lot of it has to do with Lake Thunderbird being closed and Lake Draper being drawn down, there are not a lot of options right now."

Patrol will be on the water as well enforcing drinking and driving rules on the lake and making sure all children are wearing life vests.

"We have signs on all the beaches at all the entrances to the beaches," said Arcadia Lake Patrol Officer Bobby Parker. "We have signage everywhere that children 12 and under are required to have a life jacket."

Law enforcement will be teaming up and stepping up to make sure drivers are licensed and buckled up.

"Use your common sense and stay safe, no drinking and driving, buckled up, not only yourself, but kids as well, and we're not out there to ruin anyone's Memorial Day weekend," Edmond Police Sgt. Scott Fees said.

Police say glass bottles, alcohol and pets are prohibited from the beach.

Edmond Police will be working with the Oklahoma Highway Patrol, Immigration and Customs Enforcement and the Sheriff's office at the checkpoint this weekend.

Parts of Lake Thunderbird, damaged in the May 10th tornadoes, will still be closed this holiday weekend. Park officials said the boat ramps and areas at Sailboat, Fisherman's Point and Little Axe are all closed.

The head park ranger said the tornado took out roughly, 100 of the 200 or so camp sites.

The lake patrol out at Thunderbird will still be very busy this weekend and keeping everyone safe will be a challenge. Dozens of boats were destroyed in the tornado, including two of the four law enforcement vessels. Without those boats troopers are going to have to pair up and travel together. They're asking people to be careful and stay on the lookout.

If you choose to drink this holiday weekend, you don't have to drive. AAA is offering Tipsy Tow. You can call for a tow and a free ride home beginning Thursday at 6 p.m. A truck will take you, your car, and a friend up to 15 miles. Just call 1-800-AAA-HELP and ask for Tipsy Tow. The service is free and available to anyone.