The head of the Hall County Sheriff’s Office volunteer-based Reserve Unit said Tuesday he believes the time has come for boat operators in Georgia to be licensed.

“What the license would do is require a test be taken about some basic knowledge that they just simply don’t take the time otherwise to look for,” said Capt. Harry Chapman.

Getting around on the lake “has gotten to the point that people are not aware of basic common-sense rules and laws ... of navigation,” he said.

Lake Lanier has long been a bustling tourist destination, drawing 7-8 million visitors a year, and has seen its share of deaths and serious injuries over the years. This year’s tragedies have drawn particular attention — some not too flattering — through social and even mainstream national media.

Conditions have gotten worse “just because of sheer volume,” said Chapman, whose unit spends much of its time on the lake. “The number of boats and personal watercraft has just increased over the years ... and with the increase in volume, you’re going to have more accidents.”

Recent incidents include a collision between two vessels that killed Jake Prince, 9, and his brother Griffin Prince, 13, both of Buford, and the driver of a personal watercraft, Jeffrey S. Hubbard, 38, running over an inner tube carrying an 11-year-old boy and 15-year-old girl.

Neither the 11-year-old nor the 15-year-old have been identified by authorities, though several Atlanta media outlets have named the boy as Kyle Glover, son of entertainer Usher’s ex-wife, Tameka Foster.

Numbers compiled by Georgia Department of Natural Resources show that five people have died on the lake so far this year, including two drownings and three boating fatalities. That compares with 17 total deaths on the lake in 2011.

The Gainesville-based Lake Lanier Association plans to discuss lake safety concerns at its previously scheduled meeting Thursday night.

“Last year wasn’t a real comforting summer either,” said Joanna Cloud, executive director. “We’re seeing some things that are very disconcerting. Some of them are recreational users who don’t know how to swim well or realize how deep the lake is, but that’s different from the recreational vehicle traffic.

“We’ve had several discussions about both of those topics and whether there is something we can be doing to educate or inform or somehow prevent some of these tragedies from happening.”

Cloud said she needs to get a sense of what the association’s members would like to do concerning the issue.

“I serve our members and if our members support something, then that’s what I’m going to pursue,” she said.

“We’re still formulating what we’re going to ask our members ... and I’m hoping that by the end of the month, we’ll be in a position to say what we want to pursue and what we want to recommend.”

In June, Gov. Nathan Deal called on state lawmakers to lower the legal blood alcohol limit for boaters and hunters.

Deal, who said the current legal blood alcohol limit of 0.10 is too high, promised to work with the General Assembly to lower the limit to that required of drivers on the road, 0.08.

“As a state, we need to have one level across the board,” he said at the time. “Far too many tragedies have occurred as a result of boating under the influence, and we must take the necessary steps to keep people safe.”

Authorities have charged Paul J. Bennett, 44, of Cumming, with boating under the influence in the June 18 crash that killed the Prince brothers. The DNR is still investigating the incident.

“Truly, I almost wouldn’t mind (the legal limit) going to 0.06,” said state Rep. Emory Dunahoo Jr., R-Oakwood, referring to Deal’s proposal.

“I’ve been on the water since I was 8 years old and had a boat,” he said. “We have so many people abide by the rules, but we have a lot of people who don’t. We’re going to have to get a handle on alcohol (use) and make people accountable for what they do.”

Dunahoo said that a two-hour course for those operating personal watercraft might be one way to address the issue, or “something where you have a safety card stating that you’re qualified to drive (the vessel).”

Such a requirement also could apply to boaters.

“This is something good for us to work on (in the next legislative session),” Dunahoo said.

Consideration might also need to be given to exempting veteran boaters from new requirements.

“There’s a ton of people who have been on the lake for 30, 40 years,” Dunahoo said. “You need to have it to where you say that everybody whose birthday is henceforth has to have a safety card.”

Sen. Butch Miller, R-Flowery Branch and a floor leader for Deal in the Georgia Senate, also agrees with Deal’s proposal.

“I think that’s part of the answer,” he said.

“There has got to be boater education and boater responsibility, and the DUI laws should mirror those who are in automobiles,” Miller said. “...I think we’ll see new legislation addressing boater education and boating under the influence.

“There has to be common sense and common courtesy, and boater responsibility has to be a big part of this.”