Nearly 100 impaired boat operators were removed from Florida waterways during Operation Dry Water between July 2nd and 4th. 93 boat operators were arrested for boating under the influence.
Between July 2-4, FWC officers arrested 93 vessel operators for boating under the influence of alcohol or drugs, possibly preventing a life-altering incident from occurring. Some of the boaters arrested for BUI had small children on board. Operating a vessel while impaired not only puts the operator and those onboard their vessel at risk, but all those boating around them are also in danger.
The Southwest Region (which includes Lee and Charlotte Counties) conducted more than 2,400 vessel inspections, checking more than 7,500 users. Officers removed 28 impaired vessel operators for BUI.
“Many tragic incidents were likely avoided on the water during the July Fourth holiday weekend due to the hard work of FWC and partner agency officers removing impaired boaters from behind the wheel,” said Col. Roger Young, Director of FWC’s Division of Law Enforcement. “Impaired and intoxicated boating is dangerous and deadly for both operators and passengers. We have a zero-tolerance policy for boating under the influence of alcohol or drugs and if you are found to be operating impaired, you will be arrested.”
Alcohol use is the leading contributing factor in recreational boater fatalities and a leading factor in recreational boating incidents. Law enforcement agencies from all 56 U.S. states and territories participated in Operation Dry Water. These agencies focus their efforts on detecting impaired boaters, removing them from our nation’s waterways and educating the public about the dangers of boating under the influence of alcohol and drugs.
Since the launch of the Operation Dry Water campaign in 2009, 5,320 impaired operators have been removed from U.S. waterways. Officers also made contact with over 2.2 million boaters during the annual three-day weekend as part of the outreach campaign.
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