Operation Dry Water

The effort to keep boaters and their cargo safe, a campaign took place during the weekend called Operation Dry Water. The Minnesota DNR conservation officers and other members of the public safety community turned out to patrol for intoxicated boaters, hoping to curtail accidents and deaths related to alcohol and drug related boat operation. Drunk boating is drunk driving, said DNR Conservation Officer Adam Block, and receiving a BWI carries the same consequences. Intoxicated boat operators do not get a warning , they are arrested. Last year alcohol was a factor in nearly half of the 16 fatal boating accidents. He also stated that the majority of fatal boating accidents turn deadly because the victim isn’t wearing a
The majority of fatal boating accidents turn deadly because the victim isnt wearing a life jacket. But being intoxicated is often what causes them to end up in the water in the first place, Block said. Last year, 78 BWI arrests were made statewide during the Operation Dry Water weekend which takes place annually just before the Fourth of July – a holiday when BWI-related accidents and deaths tend to spike. Minnesota has some of the strongest BWI laws in the country. Boaters convicted of BWI face significant monetary fines (up to $1,000 for a first offense), possible jail time, impoundment of their boat and trailer, and the loss of boat operating privileges for 90 days during the boating season.