State authorities arrested more than a dozen boaters during the holiday weekend campaign targeting drunk driving on the water.
The U.S. Coast Guard and Louisiana State Police, the Louisiana Department of Wildlife and Fisheries Enforcement Division teamed up for Operation Dry Water this past weekend.
They arrested 13 boaters from July 3 to July 5, a release states. LDWF also responded to four non-fatal boating incidents during that time.
Among those arrested were six people from Acadiana; and of the 13 arrests two were in Acadiana waters - the Atchafalaya River and Henderson Lake.
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.
In Louisiana a DWI can be issued to anyone operating a moving vessel or vehicle while impaired. First offense DWI carries a $300 to $1,000 fine and up to six months in jail.
Hit and run without fatalities or serious injuries carries up to a $500 fine and 10 days to six months in jail. Reckless operation of a vessel brings up to a $200 fine and 90 days in jail.
Operation Dry Water was started in 2009 by the National Association of State Boating Law Administrator (NASBLA) and LDWF has been a participant every year since its inception. More information is available at www.operationdrywater.org.
