Coast Guard, Wildlife officials, ABC officers and others are out this weekend cracking down on drunken boaters throughout North Carolina and the rest of the nation. Operation Dry Water is “a coordinated, national weekend of Boating Under the Influence detection and enforcement to reduce the number of alcohol-related accidents and fatalities.”
According to the Coast Guard the percentage of boating fatalities resulting from alcohol use is on the rise. Coast Guard statistics show that in 1987, 21% of all boating fatalities were alcohol-related.
It is illegal to operate a boat with a blood alcohol level of .08 % or more. Penalties could include a fine and/or jail time. Consequences of an accident could be death or catastrophic injury.