The U.S. Coast Guard is increasing the amount of law enforcement patrols on the Great Lakes region for the holiday weekend in an effort to prevent boater deaths, starting Thursday.
Alcohol use remains the leading cause of recreational boating deaths nationwide.
In addition, the Coast Guard is participating in Operation Dry Water, an annual coordinated campaign among multiple agencies to educate boaters about the dangers of boating under the influence. The mission of Operation Dry Water is to reduce the number of alcohol and drug-related incidents and fatalities on the water.
In 2019, law enforcement officers across the nation issued a total of 9,524 citations and removed 563 impaired operators from our nation’s waterways during the campaign over July 4th weekend.
The U.S. Coast Guard is urging boaters to enjoy this boating season and help keep everyone safe by not drinking alcohol while on the water, or operating a boat after you have consumed alcohol. Use of both legal and illegal drugs also impairs judgment and reaction time and makes it dangerous to operate any vessel.
