Nevada law enforcement agencies participate in nationwide crackdown on drunken boating

Courtesy Nevada Department of Wildlife

Law enforcement officers across Nevada will be on heightened alert for those violating boating under the influence laws during the annual Operation Dry Water weekend, June 30-July 2. Operation Dry Water is a nationally coordinated heightened awareness and enforcement campaign, focused on deterring boaters from boating under the influence of drugs or alcohol.

“Alcohol use is a leading contributing factor in recreational boater deaths, and in the top ten reasons for causing recreational boating accidents in general,” said Nevada Game Warden Captain David Pfiffner, Nevada’s Boating Law Administrator.

The Nevada Department of Wildlife (NDOW) will have officers on every major and most minor bodies of water across the state, and other law enforcement agencies are adding extra officers to many waterways in other parts of the state. In Southern Nevada, the National Park Service will be working with NDOW at the Lake Mead National Recreation Area.

Agencies are focusing their efforts on detecting impaired boaters and educating the public about the dangers of boating under the influence. In 2016, the leading cause of boater deaths, 15 percent, can be attributed to alcohol use.

“Every boater makes a conscious choice when they decide to drink and operate a vessel,” said Nevada Game Warden Lt. Paul Hearne. “Boating under the influence is a 100 percent preventable crime. Operation Dry Water, participating law enforcement agencies and our boating safety partners encourage boaters to stay sober while boating.”

Since the inception of the Operation Dry Water Campaign in 2009, law enforcement officers have removed 1,875 BUI operators from the nation’s waterways and made contact with over 604,250 boaters during the annual weekend. In 2014, 585 local, state and federal law enforcement agencies and USCG units from 56 state and territories participated in Operation Dry Water.

For more information on Operation Dry Water, visit operationdrywater.org. See a list of participating of agencies by state at http://www.operationdrywater.org/agencies.