Melissa Kocher, area supervisor for the ODNR’s Watercraft Division, said the agency is focusing specifically on boating under the influence this weekend, but also plans to look for other violations throughout the summer. Some of the issues Kocher said boaters need to be aware of are that alcohol is prohibited in state parks, the state’s open container laws and the dangers of operating any vehicle under the influence.
The three major bodies of water the division will patrol are Buck Creek, Caesar Creek and Deer Creek, officials said. Officers will patrol waterways in a total of 12 counties in the state.
Last year during its inaugural weekend, Operation Dry Water worked with 51 states and territories to enforce boating safety. As a result, officials issued 283 citations for boating under the influence and 1,127 citations for other violations nationwide.
Ron Sarver, deputy director for the National Association of State Boating Law Administrators the organization behind the initiative, says the objective of the program is to remind people about the dangers of boating while drinking over the summer.
According to U.S. Coast Guard statistics from 2008, the most recent available, 17 percent of all boating accidents fatalities were a result of alcohol or drug use.
“I think anything we can do to improve safety on the water is a great thing,” Sarver said. “We want families and friends to come back home so they can go back on the water again.”
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