Annual operation focuses on boating safety in conjunction with July Fourth holiday
In their 15th year of participating in Operation Dry Water, Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission (FWC) officers spent their July Fourth holiday weekend “focused on the safety of people enjoying all that Florida’s waterways have to offer,” FWC has announced.
From July 1 through July 3, “FWC officers arrested 94 vessel operators for boating under the influence of alcohol or drugs, preventing the possibility of life-altering events from occurring,” a news release points out.
“Tragic accidents occur when irresponsibility is present,” said Col. Brian Smith, director of FWC’s Division of Law Enforcement, in the release. “Operating a vessel while impaired puts the vessel operator, everyone on board and everyone around them in danger. I have no doubt that the hard work our officers and partner agencies put in over the holiday weekend saved lives,” he added in the release.
“Operating a vessel while under the influence of alcohol or drugs is illegal on all bodies of water and can lead to serious injuries and consequences,” the release points out. “In Florida, it is illegal to operate a vessel with a blood alcohol content of .08 or higher, the same as in a vehicle.”
The release adds, “The FWC reminds boaters to enjoy the Florida sunshine” and designate an operator who will remain sober, “to ensure the safety of everyone with them and around them …” The FWC also encourages boaters to wear life jackets and to take a boating education course, the release says.
For more information about boating safety visit MyFWC.com/Boating.