State wildlife officials will take part in a national crackdown on boating under the influence this weekend (June 24-26).

TAMPA BAY – If you’re going to be on the water this weekend, don’t drink and boat.

Officers from the Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission will be out in force looking for boaters who have been drinking. It’s all part of a national crackdown on BUI, or boating under the influence. The annual three-day, heightened awareness and enforcement campaign, Operation Dry Water, focuses on deterring boaters from boating under the influence of alcohol or drugs.

Law enforcement agencies nationwide will be out in force Friday through Sunday (June 24-26), looking for boaters who choose to boat under the influence, and then removing them from the water. Increased awareness about the dangers of boating under the influence, along with officers focused on identifying impaired operators, aim to drastically reduce the number of accidents and deaths due to impaired boating. 

“It is our job as law enforcement officers to identify and remove impaired boaters from the water so that everyone else can continue to have an enjoyable boating season and not become a victim of boating under the influence. Protecting the public goes to the heart of our mission,” said Maj. Richard Moore, FWC’s boating and waterways section leader. “Our agency is participating in Operation Dry Water, and joining thousands of law enforcement officers nationwide to decrease the number of accidents, injuries and deaths that come as a result of boaters who choose to drink and boat.”

In Florida it is illegal to operate a vessel with a BAC level of 0.08 or higher. The FWC wants to remind boaters to stay safe this summer by staying sober on the water. Alcohol use is one of the leading contributing factors in recreational boater deaths. During the national weekend of heightened awareness and high-visibility enforcement, boaters can expect to see an enhanced law enforcement presence and increased messaging about this dangerous and preventable crime.

For information about the FWC, go to myfwc.com.

Photographs courtesy of the FWC.

Florida Fish and Wildlife | BUI | Drunken Boating | Boating | TB Reporter

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