FRANKFORT, Ky. (AP) — Boaters can feel safer during the upcoming holiday weekend as conservation officers with the Kentucky Department of Fish and Wildlife Resources join other law enforcement agencies for Operation Dry Water June 30-July 2.
Operation Dry Water is a national campaign to educate the public about boating under the influence. The increased law enforcement presence around Kentucky’s lakes and rivers will serve as reminders for people not to boat impaired – the leading contributing factor in recreational boating deaths.
“The overall goal of our officers is not to write tickets and make arrests, but to make sure our waterways are safe for our families,” said Maj. Shane Carrier, assistant director of law enforcement for the Kentucky Department of Fish and Wildlife Resources. “We will have enhanced patrols and increased vigilance for dangerous boaters on our waterways.”
Operation Dry Water is an annual event coordinated by the National Association of State Boating Law Administrators, in partnership with the U.S. Coast Guard and various other law enforcement agencies. Since its inception in 2009, participating officers across the country have made contact with more than 860,000 boaters as part of their outreach efforts.
According to U.S. Coast Guard statistics from 2016, alcohol use is a leading contributor in fatal boating incidents. Where the primary cause is known, alcohol is cited as the leading factor in 15 percent of boating deaths.
For Kentucky Fish and Wildlife conservation officers, reducing that statistic is critical.
“We want everyone to enjoy Kentucky’s waterways over the holiday weekend – and be safe as well,” Carrier said.