Mott Lake

-- A dozen years ago, a paddleboat sank in about seven feet of water on Mother's Day as it approached the dock at the end of its maiden voyage on Mott Lake northeast of Flint.

The 110 passengers put on life vests and swam 30 feet to safety, USA Today reported at the time.

The accident happened after the captain, apparently approaching the dock too fast, suddenly put the boat into reverse, causing the paddlewheel to throw water into the back of the boat and swamped it, the state Department of Natural Resources said Monday. Only minor injuries resulted.

It was the last time a cruise boat on an inland lake or river in Michigan had a serious accident, according to the DNR. But the safety of lake cruises is being looked at again after 20 people died Sunday when a tour boat carrying 47 senior sightseers from Michigan and Ohio capsized on Lake George in the Adirondacks in New York state.

Only about 12 to 15 of the more than 1 million boats registered in Michigan are cruise boats on inland lakes or rivers, DNR spokeswoman Mary Dettloff said. Each has to be pulled from the water for a dry land inspection every six years that looks at the hull and the structural soundness of the boat.

Every other year, each boat is given an operational and safety inspection by a DNR official who looks at the equipment on the boat and counts and inspects every personal floatation device. Boats must have one life jacket per passenger, the same standard as New York.