BUI Sweep Planned for Bay Area Waters

Tampa Bay area boaters who tip back one too many while out on local waters may find themselves in a heap of trouble as law enforcement throughout the state gears up for a multiday crackdown.

Operation Dry Water is an annual three-day campaign that’s designed to raise awareness about BUI, or boating under the influence. The enhanced enforcement efforts are meant to deter boaters from using alcohol or drugs while on the water. This year’s campaign is set to take place this weekend, June 26-28.

“Protecting the public goes to the heart of our mission, and it is our job to identify and remove drunk or impaired boaters,” said Sarasota County Sheriff Tom Knight. “We’re participating in Operation Dry Water so everyone else can have a great weekend on the water.”

Knight’s agency isn’t the only one to have pledged its support for the effort that’s also intended to reduce the number of boating accidents. Other Tampa Bay agencies taking part include the Hillsborough, Pasco, Manatee sheriff’s offices, local U.S. Coast Guard stations and the Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission, among others, according to the operation’s website.

“Alcohol is the leading contributing factor in fatal boating accidents,” the operation’s website stated. “If you boat under the influence your voyage may be terminated, the boat may be impounded and the operator may be arrested.”

In the state of Florida it is illegal for boat operators to have a blood alcohol level of .08 or higher – the same as it is for motor vehicle drivers.

In 2014, the U.S. Coast Guard logged 4,064 accidents involving 610 deaths, 2,678 injuries and about $39 million in property damage due to recreational boating accidents, according to a Coast Guard report. Where the primary cause of accidents was known, the Coast Guard said alcohol was “listed as the leading factor in 21 percent of deaths.”

For more information on Operation Dry Water, visit its website.

Photo/U.S. Coast Guard