The Black Diamond Police Department marine enforcement officers will be out on patrol on Lake Sawyer for the annual Operation Dry Water campaign.
Statewide, officers will be out in force June 28, 29 and 30 looking for boat operators that are under the influence of drugs or alcohol and whose blood alcohol content exceeds the state limit of .08 percent.
Operation Dry Water will include increased patrols and visibility, as well as checking all boat operators for the state required boater education card.
“We plan to stop intoxicated boaters and to educate as many boaters as possible about the hazards of operating a boat while the influence,” said Commander Greg Goral.
A boat operator or passenger with a BAC above the legal limit puts them, their passengers and others on the water at risk of being involved in a boating accident. When impaired by alcohol or drugs, boating accidents are likely, and most are deadly for both passengers and boat operators, many of whom capsize their vessel or simply fall overboard.
According to State Parks Boating Programs, since 2004, alcohol was a factor in at least 30 percent of the people killed in boating accidents in Washington state, including 5 of the 8 boating deaths so far in 2013. As a result of the high incidence of drunk boating, marine law enforcement agencies around the state including the Black Diamond Police Department are getting tougher on enforcing laws against this high-risk behavior.
“There will be arrests this weekend, and some boaters will face the consequences of boating under the influence,” says Commander Greg Goral. “We want boaters to enjoy themselves, but there will be zero tolerance for BUI.”
Operation Dry Water is a national multi-agency, education and enforcement initiative launched in 2009 by state and local marine law enforcement agencies in partnership with the U.S. Coast Guard, puts thousands of local, state and federal marine law enforcement officers on the water nationwide the last weekend in June to give BUI enforcement high visibility during the peak boating season.
Operation Dry Water is a joint program of state, local and federal agencies coordinated by Washington State Parks and supported by the Black Diamond Police Department. For more information, visit www.operationdrywater.org.
