DETROIT – The U.S. Coast Guard, along with partner law enforcement, will begin a crackdown on boating and drinking on the Great Lakes this weekend.
Law enforcement will conduct boardings in support of "Operation Dry Water" beginning Friday and continuing through the holiday weekend.
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"Much like operating a motor vehicle, the operator of a vessel shoulders the responsibility for the safe operation of their vessel, including the safety of their passengers, said Michael Baron, recreational boating and water safety specialist for the Ninth Coast Guard District. "When an operator is boating under the influence (BUI), it's often not the impaired operator, but their loved ones, passengers and other waterway users who suffer."
Alcohol use continues to be the leading known contributing factor in recreational boating deaths; it was listed as the leading contributing factor in 15% of all recreational boating fatalities.
Boating under the influence is just as, if not more, dangerous than driving a motor vehicle under the influence of drugs or alcohol, and just as illegal.