LOUISVILLE, Ky. – U.S. Coast Guard and local law enforcement officers will be out in force this weekend looking for boat operators whose blood alcohol concentration exceeds the state limit as part of Operation Dry Water, a national education and enforcement initiative. Coordinated by the National Association of State Boating Law Administrators, Operation Dry Water will include increased boater education with Coast Guard and local Law Enforcement patrols on the Ohio River system from Paducah, Kentucky to Pittsburgh, Philadelphia and east to Huntington, West Virginia.
Launched by NASBLA in 2009 in partnership with the U.S. Coast Guard, Operation Dry Water is a national awareness and enforcement campaign focused on reducing the number of alcohol and drug related accidents and fatalities and fostering a stronger, more visible deterrent to alcohol and drug use on the water.
Operation Dry Water is held in June just prior to the Fourth of July holiday; a holiday known for increased boaters on the waters where alcohol use is prevalent, as are subsequent boating accidents and fatalities.
In 2014, 585 local, state, and federal agencies participated in Operation Dry Water. Over that three-day weekend law enforcement officers contacted 146,711 boaters, made 318 boating under the influence arrests, and issued 18,607 citations and warnings for safety violations. The campaign continues to make a significant impact on boater safety and spread the message of the danger of boating under the influence.
BUI has become the leading contributing factor in fatal recreational boating accidents, and it is recommended that boaters avoid drinking alcoholic beverages. Alcohol can impair a boater’s judgment, balance, vision, and reaction time as well as increase fatigue and susceptibility to the effects of cold-water immersion. According to Kentucky state code, both the drinking of alcoholic beverages and being intoxicated on a boat are prohibited, and the State of Kentucky’s jurisdiction extends across the width of the Ohio River. This law and others that prohibit drinking on the water will be strictly enforced.
More information is available at Operationdrywater.org