6:00 am | Jun 24, 2009
Operation Dry Water: increased Coast Guard presence, crackdown on drinking boaters
This weekend will see an increased Coast Guard presence in local waters and a zero tolerance policy for boaters found to be under the influence of alcohol or drugs, according to the Los Angeles Sector of the U.S. Coast Guard.
On June 26 -28, the Coast Guard will be participating in Operation Dry Water, a national effort to step-up enforcement of “boating under the influence” laws.
From the Coast Guard:
“There will be zero tolerance for anyone found operating a boat under the influence of alcohol or drugs. If an operator is determined to be boating under the influence, the Coast Guard will take the person into custody and then turn them over to appropriate state authorities for further prosecution. Penalties may include fines, jail, impoundment of boats and loss of boating and/or driving privileges.”
“There will be arrests this weekend, and some boaters will face the consequences of boating under the influence, but we’d much rather arrest someone than to have to tell their friends and family they’re never coming back,” said Lieutenant Commander Christopher Boes, Chief, Incident Management Division for Coast Guard Sector Los Angeles – Long Beach.
Enforcement efforts will include increased patrols and boater sobriety checkpoints.
Statistics from the U.S. Coast Guard Office of Boating Safety, show that 21 percent of deaths due to recreational boating accidents in 2007 involved alcohol.
Operation Dry Water is a joint program of the National Association of State Boating Law Administrators and the U.S. Coast Guard. For more information, visit operationdrywater.org or follow the operation on twitter: twitter.com/opdrywater
Posted by kate | Uncategorized
