(Casper, Wyo.) – As the summer boating season gets into full swing, the Wyoming Game and Fish Department is ramping up its enforcement efforts as part of a national crackdown on boating under the influence. The annual three-day, heightened awareness and enforcement campaign, “Operation Dry Water” focuses on deterring boaters from boating under the influence of alcohol or drugs.
June 26-28, law enforcement agencies nationwide will be out, focusing on safety by looking for boaters who choose to boat under the influence and removing them from the water. Increased awareness messaging about the dangers of boating under the influence, along with an increased number of officers on the water, aims to drastically reduce the number of accidents and deaths due to impaired boating.
“It is our job, as the main law enforcement entity related to boating, to identify and remove drunk or impaired boaters from the water. This is so that everyone else can continue to have an enjoyable time on the water, and not become a victim of boating under the influence. Protecting the public goes to the heart of our mission,” said Aaron Kerr, law enforcement coordinator for Game and Fish. “For the third year in a row, our agency is participating in ‘Operation Dry Water’ and joining thousands of law enforcement officers nationwide, to decrease the number of accidents and deaths that come as a result of boaters who choose to drink and boat,” Kerr added.
In Wyoming it is illegal for boaters to operate a vessel if their BAC level is 0.10 or higher. Game and Fish wants to remind boaters to stay safe this summer, by staying sober on the water. Alcohol use is the leading contributing factor in recreational boater deaths. During the national weekend of heightened awareness and high-visibility enforcement, boaters can expect to see more law enforcement presence and increased messaging about this dangerous and preventable crime.
-Provided by the Wyoming Game and Fish Department-