TALLAHASSEE — An annual three-day, heightened awareness and enforcement campaign, Operation Dry Water, focuses on deterring people from boating under the influence of alcohol or drugs.
Law enforcement agencies nationwide will be out in force June 24-26, looking for boaters who choose to boat under the influence, and then removing them from the water.
“It is our job as law enforcement officers to identify and remove impaired boaters from the water so that everyone else can continue to have an enjoyable boating season and not become a victim of boating under the influence. Protecting the public goes to the heart of our mission,” said Maj. Richard Moore, Boating and Waterways Section Leader for Florida Fish & Wildlife Conservation Commission.
In Florida it is illegal to operate a vessel with a blood alcohol content level of .08 or higher. Alcohol use is one of the leading contributing factors in recreational boater deaths.
This article originally appeared on Crestview News Bulletin: Operation Dry Water launched against boating under the influence