BATON ROUGE, La. - Louisiana Department of Wildlife and Fisheries Law Enforcement Division (LDWF/LED) agents will take part in Operation Dry Water from July 3 to July 5, according to a LDWF release.
During the Operation Dry Water weekend, LDWF agents will be on patrol with heightened awareness for impaired boat operators on the state’s waterways.
“We are always on the lookout for impaired boat operators, but this weekend it will be more of a focused effort,” said Major Rachel Zechenelly, the state’s boating law administrator. “We know this will be a busy weekend and we want people to have fun on the waterways. However, we please ask everybody on the water to wear a personal flotation device and have a sober operator.”
Impaired boaters caught this weekend can expect penalties to be severe, according to LDWF. In Louisiana, a DWI on the water carries the same penalties and fines as on the road and includes jail time, fines and loss of driving and boating operator privileges.
Anyone cited for a DWI on the water or on the road will lose his or her driver's license and boating privileges for the specified time ordered by the judge in the case. Also, each offense of operating a vehicle or vessel while intoxicated counts toward the total number of DWI crimes whether they happened on the water or road.
Anthony Corner, a senior agent with LDWF, said to those going out on the water this weekend, "Have fun, stay safe, but be mindful of the boating laws in this state. Be mindful of different boating equipment for your specific vessel."
Operation Dry Water was started in 2009 and is a joint program involving the LDWF/LED, the National Association of State Boating Law Administrators (NASBLA) and the U.S. Coast Guard. More information is available atwww.operationdrywater.org.
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