“Operation Dry Water” sets sail to raise awareness about BUI

JACKSON, Tenn.—The Tennessee Wildlife Resource Agency will increase its boating patrols this weekend for “Operation Dry Weekend,” a boating under the influence awareness campaign.

“The goal behind it is to reduce hopefully to zero the number of accidents that occur as a result of impaired operators,” TWRA Regional Coordinator Steve Henderson said.

Officials say they will have around 60 officers on the waters in West Tennessee this weekend for the start of the peak boating season.

“On the water, you’re in the sun and its hot you tend to get a little dehydrated while you’re out there, all of these things exasperate the alcohol in your system,” Henderson said.

Officials said that alcohol is still the leading contributor in recreational boating deaths.  The goal Operation Dry Water is to change the culture of drinking on the water to bring everyone home safe.

“You can actually drink an alcoholic beverage while you are operating a boat, but you can not drink to the point of impairment,” Henderson said.

Last year the TWRA checked around 2,800 boats, and only one reported boating accident with serious injuries.

“They tend to be serious accidents because you’re on a boat.  You’re not in a car.  You don’t have airbags.  You don’t have seat belts.  And, boats tend to go over one another when they hit or collide.  They don’t tend to hit and bounce off,” Henderson said.

The campaign started Friday and will last through Sunday, June 26.

Since the launch of Operation Dry Water boating fatalities with alcohol named as a contributing factor have decreased 3 percent nationwide, however officials are still working to lower that number every year.

Penalties for BUI include fines, jail time, having your boat impounded and the loss of boat driving privileges.