21 Boaters Arrested Over Seafair Weekend: WSP

SEATTLE — Nearly two dozen people were arrested on suspicion of boating under the influence over Seafair weekend, one of Seattle's largest annual events and busiest summer weekends on the water. As the Blue Angels and hydroplane races returned for the first time since 2019, state and local law enforcement agencies deployed extra marine patrols to the areas where boats pack in to take in the sights and the sounds.

Washington State Patrol announced the multi-day enforcement effort last week, including a "mobile impaired driving unit," where suspects were arrested and processed. In Washington, "BUI" violations are a gross misdemeanor and can be punishable by fines as high as $5,000 and up to a year in jail. The legal limit for alcohol is 0.8 blood alcohol concentration, and 5 nanograms for marijuana. The law applies to all vessels, motorized and non-motorized.

Trooper Rick Johnson said 21 boaters were booked on suspicion of BUI over the weekend, including one dozen on Saturday alone.

According to the U.S. Coast Guard's annual recreational boating report, alcohol consumption was the leading contributor to deadly boating accidents last year, with more than 100 deaths reported across the nation in 2021.