Thousands of boat party enthusiasts gathered on Michigan’s Lake St. Clair for the annual Jobbie Nooner party on Friday despite COVID-19 restrictions. The event, which was launched by autoworkers in 1974 is considered one of the top ten boat parties in the whole of the U.S. The event, which saw people jumping from boat to boat, was closely patrolled by local law enforcement officials who wore full personal protection gear. While St. Clair County’s Sgt. Marty Stoyan said there was a “very big possibility” of COVID-19 spreading to revelers, he said no one organizes the event so there was no way to stop it.

Michigan has had a number of party-related outbreaks of COVID-19 including one where more than 30 people tested positive after a night out in an East Lansing bar. Michigan Governor Gretchen Whitmer told 7 Action News, “Dropping our guard now means that we will very likely increase the spread in Michigan.” Lake St. Clair also hosted a boat parade for President Trump’s birthday earlier this month.