JACKSONVILLE, Fla. — Coast Guard crews, along with members of the Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission, will be patrolling various areas throughout Jacksonville in support of Operation Dry Water Friday through Sunday.
The purpose of Operation Dry Water is to significantly reduce the number of alcohol and drug-related accidents, injuries and deaths among recreational boaters through education, detection and enforcement.
Coast Guardsmen, along with members of FWC will be patrolling the St. Johns River and the Intercoastal Waterway. Boaters who are found to be operating vessels under the influence will face penalties including fines and arrest.
According to a report by the Coast Guard, alcohol was the cause of 277 boating accidents nationwide over the last year. This included 108 deaths and 247 injuries. Federal, state, and local marine law enforcement officers made 318 arrests for boating under the influence during the 2014 Operation Dry Water weekend.
“We don’t want to discourage boaters from going out and enjoying our waterways,” said Chief Petty Officer Jane Sandy, a command duty officer at Coast Guard Sector Jacksonville. “We just want people to be safe. We advise boaters to operate their vessels with caution at all times. If you plan on having alcohol during a boat ride, have a designated boat operator aboard.”
To view the Coast Guard 2014 accident report, visit: http://www.uscgboating.org/library/accident-statistics/Recreational-Boat....
To view the FWC 2014 accident report, visit: http://myfwc.com/boating/safety-education/accidents/.
For more information on Operation Dry Water, visit: http://operationdrywater.org.
For more information on the FWC role, contact Karen Parker at 386-754-1294.
For more information contact the Coast Guard 7th District Public Affairs Detachment Jacksonville at 305-318-1864.
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