Three children were on paddleboards venturing farther into the waters of Bear Lake, life jackets nowhere in sight, when a voice came down from above.

It wasn't a lifeguard. It was an Idaho State Police drone.

Troopers on the Bear Lake beat deploy the drone to see what's happening far from the lake's shores and on Friday they spotted the kids paddling far from the beach — sans safety gear.

The troopers used the speaker mounted on the flying machine to play a pre-recorded message reminding the juveniles that life jackets are required. The kids paddled back to shore and put their vests on.

Idaho State Police Lt. Todd Orr said it's one small example of how he and his fellow troopers keep watch over Bear Lake these days.

The regular presence of state troopers at the lake has come in response to its exploding popularity. For many folks from Idaho, Utah and beyond, Bear Lake and its bright blue waters have become a favorite summer vacation spot.

State police believe their presence, especially on busy weekends at the lake, acts as a deterrent as much as it prevents tragedy.

The public has the Idaho Legislature to thank for the presence of state police at Bear Lake. Three years ago, state lawmakers decided to provide the overtime funding so state police could patrol the increasingly popular tourism spot on a regular basis.

On any given day during the summer months, there are one to four troopers on the Bear Lake beat, which consists of a stretch of beach more than three miles long in and around Bear Lake State Park.

Orr said a big part of the state police presence has to do with making sure the 3,000 to 6,000 daily visitors on the Idaho side of the lake are behaving with safety in mind.

The troopers frequently remind people not to venture into the lake's waters on a paddleboard, kayak or boat without wearing a life jacket, and all life jackets are required to have a noise-making device to draw attention in an emergency.

Another state law is that you can't park a vehicle within 100 feet of the lake. There are also no ATVs, UTVs or dirt bikes allowed on the beach.

Troopers enforce all of those rules and regulations as well as conduct boat safety inspections and respond to a wide variety of calls for service from the public.

"Normal calls for service include a lot of found kids," Orr said. "People call us if they find a kid and (he or she) is not theirs. We try to reunite everyone."

Troopers also respond to visitors' vehicles getting stuck in the sand as well as the occasional beachgoer who's causing problems for others.

"There are domestic disputes and sometimes family reunions where people can get rowdy," Orr said. "We'll respond and calm everyone down."

Orr said that often just having troopers patrolling the beach deters problems.

"If people see us, they won't misbehave," he said. "It's like on the interstate, when people see my patrol car they'll slow down. It's the same thing when people see us on the beach. It's a deterrent."

Orr said the state police want to keep everyone safe at the lake and make sure everyone has a good experience recreating there.

"We have been stopped by local folks who thank us for being down there," Orr said. "They appreciate it so much because during the summer there is such a huge influx of people. They appreciate the enforcement on the beach. We help make it a family-friendly environment."

State police patrol the beach on foot and by vehicle and use the camera-equipped drone to take a look at what's happening on the water. The drone also has thermal imaging equipment and is frequently used for search and rescue operations.

Orr said the deployment of troopers to the lake provides a big boost for the Bear Lake County Sheriff's Office. With troopers patrolling the beach, sheriff's deputies can carry out marine patrol duties via boats on the water. The deputies perform much the same function as the troopers, just on the lake rather than its shores.

Orr said most people probably don't realize just how many water rescues happen on the lake.

Every week Bear Lake County sheriff's deputies respond to several incidents involving people in distress on the water, and often state troopers lend a hand.

"Boaters' batteries die or they run out of gas," Orr said. "It's a waterborne assist just like a motorist assist on the interstate. Sometimes there are emergencies but sometimes it's more routine. The deputies are out there on marine patrol and they're extremely busy."

Orr said working the Bear Lake beat is a voluntary assignment for troopers, with the perk being they get paid overtime.

But the standard 12-hour shifts patrolling the lake can be grueling.

"It's not a vacation," Orr said. "When I come home from those shifts, I'm wiped out. You're out in the 98-degree heat all day wearing a ballistic vest. You're running around in the sand. You get pretty beat up pretty quick. It's absolutely not 'Baywatch.'"

Orr said troopers on the Bear Lake beat wear a more comfortable blue military-style uniform rather than their traditional state trooper attire but the heat, sand and physical exertion of police work still take a toll.

Orr has been a state trooper for more than two decades and has watched Bear Lake become more and more popular on the tourism map in recent years.

And he said most of the lake's tourists are very well behaved.

"People are there to have good family time," he said. "We don't have a lot of drunk and disorderly situations. A lot of people bring their kids. You can walk out 100 yards into the lake and still be only waist-deep in water. Most people don't go there to act stupid."

Situations do arise, though.

And when they do, Orr and his fellow troopers are the ones out there in the sand and the heat ready to keep the peace.