CHICAGO — The U.S. Coast Guard, Illinois Department of Natural Resources Conservation Police, and the Chicago Police Department Marine Unit will be participating in Operation Dry Water 2014, a nationwide effort to reduce the number of accidents and deaths due to boating under the influence, June 27-29.
Launched in 2009 by the National Association of State Boating Law Administrators, Operation Dry Water is a national outreach and enforcement campaign with the goal of spreading awareness about the dangers of boating under the influence and removing impaired operators from our nation's waterways.
Alcohol use is the leading contributing factor in recreational boater deaths in the United States, according to the 2013 Recreational Boating Statistics compiled by the Coast Guard. In 2012 and 2013, alcohol use contributed to 95 accidents, 67 injuries and 36 deaths on the Great Lakes.
In Illinois, boaters whose blood alcohol content (BAC) level exceeds .08 can expect to incur severe penalties. If a boat operator is boating under the influence, the voyage may be terminated, the boat may be impounded and the operator may be arrested. Penalties can include fines, jail, loss of boating privileges, and even loss of driving privileges.
Boating under the influence is just as deadly as drinking and driving. A boat operator consuming alcohol is likely to become impaired more quickly than a person driving who has consumed alcohol. Drinking alcohol while boating affects judgment, vision, balance and coordination. These impairments increase the likelihood of accidents while underway for both passengers and boat operators.
When a boater or passenger drinks, the following can occur:
- Cognitive abilities and judgment deteriorate, making it harder to process information, assess situations, and make good choices.
- Physical performance is impaired - affecting balance, a decrease in peripheral vision, reduced depth perception, decreased night vision, poor focus, and difficulty in distinguishing colors.
- Inner ear disturbances can make it impossible for a person who falls into the water to distinguish up from down.
- Alcohol creates a physical sensation of warmth - which may prevent a person in cold water from getting out before hypothermia sets in.
- The marine environment - motion, vibration, engine noise, sun, wind and spray - accelerates a drinker's impairment. These stressors cause fatigue that makes a boat operator's coordination, judgment and reaction time decline even faster when using alcohol than consuming alcohol on land.
"Coast Guard men and women patrol throughout the boating season to ensure the safety of the boating public. We do our best to remove intoxicated boaters before they hurt themselves or others," said Rear Adm. Fred Midgette, commander of the Coast Guard 9th District.
"From June 27-29 we will be partnering with law enforcement agencies across the Great Lakes to ensure boating is an activity that everyone can safely enjoy. We encourage boaters who witness anyone operating a boat recklessly to report it to local law enforcement - together we can make the lakes safer."
During this three-day weekend, boaters can expect to see increased patrols. Officers will be on the water reminding boaters about the dangers of boating under the influence and detecting boaters who are impaired.
Since the inception of the Operation Dry Water Campaign in 2009, law enforcement officers have removed 1,557 BUI operators from the nation's waterways and made contact with more than 457,000 boaters during the annual three-day weekend.
"Safe operation is the responsibility of every boater in Illinois," said Rafael Gutierrez, Chief of the Illinois Conservation Police. "Operation Dry Water provides an important opportunity to provide additional education and enforcement."
"The Chicago Police Department plays an integral role in water safety for the City of Chicago, where a world-class waterfront is one of the premier recreational attractions for residents and visitors," said Marine and Helicopter Unit Lieutenant Allison Schloss. "We urge everyone to enjoy time on the water lawfully and to exercise responsible discretion when on a boat, especially by never operating a watercraft under the influence of drugs or alcohol."