As with most summer holidays, the Georgia Department of Natural Resources (DNR) will be working overtime this Fourth of July weekend to make sure swimmers and boaters are playing safe.
The main focus for Georgia game wardens will be those boaters who may be operating vessels while under the influence of alcohol. In a statement released Thursday, DNR said they will be conducting heightened awareness and enforcement of boating under the influence (BUI) laws as part of the national Operation Dry Water campaign.
DNR spokesman Mark McKinnon wrote that the increased patrols will begin Friday.
"From June 30 - July 4, boaters will notice an increase in the numbers of officers on the water as DNR will have all their available game wardens working Georgia’s waterways," McKinnon wrote. "They will arrest and remove all impaired operators."
The goal, of course, is to decrease the number of accidents and deaths attributed to impaired boating and other unsafe boating practices, McKinnon said
DNR Director of Law Enforcement Colonel Eddie Henderson said it's against the law to operate a vessel under the influence of alcohol or drugs on any body of water in the state.
“In Georgia it is illegal to operate a vessel with a BAC level of .08 or higher - the same as it is to operate a vehicle," Henderson said.
Additionally, DNR is partnering with a number of federal, state and private partners in an anti-drowning campaign, titled “SPLASH,” with the goal of reducing all water-related deaths in Georgia. The acronym highlights positive actions for water safety.
- Supervision - always watch children.
- Prevention - wear a life jacket.
- Look before you leap - know the water depth.
- Arms-length - keep small children close.
- Swim lessons – take them.
- Have a water safety plan.
Listen to WDUN's Afternoon News Wrap with Russell Brown on Friday, June 30 to hear more about the DNR's plan to patrol area waterways over the Fourth of July holiday.
