As boating under the influence (BUI) continues to be a major factor in accidents and deaths on the nation’s waterways, Barry County Sheriff’s marine deputies join local, state and federal agencies in Operation Dry Water, a national BUI awareness and enforcement campaign.

The effort, June 24-26, is just before the Fourth of July – a holiday known for drinking and boating, and deadly accidents.

 

Law enforcement has a message for those who drink and operate a watercraft:  “We would rather arrest you than have to tell your family you've been killed in a boating accident... If you are boating under the influence, we will find you.”

 

The drive is aimed at reducing the number of alcohol and drug-related accidents and fatalities and deliver a stronger and more visible deterrent to alcohol and drug use on the water.

Operating a recreational vessel with a blood alcohol concentration (BAC) of .08 or higher is against the law in Michigan and carry penalties that include fines, jail, and loss of boating privileges.//

 

In 2015, more than 6,600 officers from 582 local, state, and federal agencies participated in Operation Dry Water, contacted 57,402 vessels and 125,087 boaters, made 278 BUI arrests, and issued 17,942 citations and warnings for safety violations. For more information, visit operationdrywater.org, nasbla.org, uscgboating.org or Barry County Sheriff’s Office.