Wildlife officers crack down on boating under the influence

MADISON COUNTY, Tenn. — Tennessee Wildlife Resources Agency officer Matt Majors says there are precautions you should take before getting in a boat this summer. But he says the most important safety measure is keeping alcohol out of it.

“Boating under the influence, whether it be alcohol or drugs, is unsafe operation,” Majors said. “Our officers do want to remove those operators.”

Majors says officers are combating boating under the influence, patrolling waterways and looking for boaters using drugs or alcohol.

“Many of these decisions by these boat operators to operate under the influence can end in tragic results,” Majors said. 

As a refresher, TWRA officers participated Monday in a “wet lab,” where volunteers drink a certain amount of alcohol and officers perform sobriety tests.

“This gives these officers every tool so they can to go out and recognize it, and hopefully save some lives,” Majors said.

Majors says on average 150 to 200 people in Tennessee are arrested each year for BUI.

“We only have 200 officers patrolling our waters statewide, so we don’t get all of them, and that’s our challenge,” Majors said.

TWRA officer Joe Campbell says it’s smart to have a designated driver while on the water.

“Have somebody who is going to be responsible for getting everybody off the water and getting them home safely,” Campbell said.

Officers say if you’re arrested for BUI, you could face jail time, fines and lose your boating license.

Officials say alcohol is one of the leading factors in boating deaths across the country.

West Tennessee TWRA officers will continue BUI training Tuesday.