State and federal officials will be out in force on Tennessee waterways July 5-7 as part of Operation Dry Water, a nationwide effort to reduce the number of alcohol- and drug-related accidents on the water.
Since the campaign’s launch in 2009, the number of alcohol-related boating fatalities has decreased nationally, campaign officials say, however, alcohol use continues to be the leading known contributing factor in recreational boating deaths in the U.S.
Operation Dry Water is held annually near the Fourth of July holiday to give BUI enforcement high visibility during the peak boating season. The Tennessee Wildlife Resources Agency will join forces with the U.S. Coast Guard and the National Association of State Boating Law Administrators in Operation Dry Water, according to agency spokeswoman Mime Barnes. Operation Dry Water was started by the national association in 2009.
TWRA boating officers will saturate high traffic areas on waterways across the state, intensifying efforts to detect and arrest boaters who are operating vessels while under the influence. They’ll also be checking for the use of life jackets and other safety practices, Barnes states in a news release on the operation.
SUMMER BOATING SAFETY TIPS
BEFORE YOU GO› Take a boating safety course› Conduct vessel safety check› Complete a pre-departure checklist› Check the weather› File a float planWHAT YOU NEED› Life jackets› Throwable flotation aids› Visual distress signals› Sound producing devices› Engine cut-off devicesON THE BOAT› Be aware› Boat sober› Provide life jackets› Provide navigation aidsSource: Operation Dry Water
Sun, wind, noise, vibration and motion intensify the effects of alcohol, drugs and some medications, she said.
During Operation Dry Water in 2018 there were nine BUI influence arrests across Tennessee, according to the TWRA. Operating a boat with a blood-alcohol content of .08% or higher is illegal in Tennessee, the same as operating a car, officials said. Similarly, penalties may include fines, jail, boat impoundment and the loss of boat driving privileges.
Operation Dry Water statistics show that 19% of boating fatalities are related to consumption of alcohol, and officials ask boaters to take a pledge not to drive or occupy a boat while intoxicated or endanger themselves or others. Officials also ramp up efforts around Labor Day and Memorial Day.
During the Memorial Day weekend, a rash of boating accidents was reported in Alabama and Georgia.
More recently, authorities on Monday were still trying to find a man who disappeared in Georgia’s Lake Lanier last week after trying to save his friends.
Police have identified the missing man as Corey Lamar Brown, 28, according to the Associated Press.
The Associated Press contributed to this story.
Contact Ben Benton at bbenton@timesfreepress.com or 423-757-6569. Follow him on Twitter @BenBenton or at www.facebook.com/benbenton1.