CHICAGO – The number of boating deaths linked to alcohol on Illinois waterways has increased over the past five years, prompting authorities to appeal to boaters to take the risks of drinking on the water more seriously.

Nine people died last year in alcohol-related boating accidents, the highest number since 2004, the Chicago Tribune reported Saturday. According to the U.S. Coast Guard, Illinois ranked second in the nation in such fatalities after Wisconsin.

This year, one boater who disappeared in May was found dead in the Rock River in Winnebago County after leaving a bar.