Marine patrols are on high alert this holiday weekend, reminding everyone of the dangers of boating while impaired.
Operation Dry Water has been around since 2009. This effort, led by the U.S. Coast Guard, is credited with removing more than 5,300 impaired off the nation’s waterways.
The officers aren’t just looking for impaired boaters. That is certainly the emphasis this Fourth of July weekend.
“So, our jurisdiction got bigger as of this year,” said Corporal Bobby Jira.
But they are also doing inspections, too, reminding those on Lake Washington to be safe.
He is on board one of three Marine Patrol units run by the Mercer Island Police Department, now responsible for patrolling a portion of the nearly 22-mile-long Lake Washington from Hunts Point to Renton.
At the helm is Officer Luiz Paz.
Jira is the officer working to ensure boaters are staying safe. The emphasis this holiday weekend is Operation Dry Water, reminding boaters to stay sober while operating their vessel.
Should skippers stay away from alcohol?
“I would say that’s a good rule of thumb, said Jira. “But as long as they’re not intoxicated to the point where they can’t safely operate the vessel.”
In 2014, Renton realtor Richard Hicks was driving his boat drunk when he collided with another vessel on Lake Washington. A Seattle teacher, a passenger on the other boat, was knocked into the water and drowned.
Hicks was convicted a year later of homicide by watercraft.
Jira said the authorities also want to remind boaters of the need for personal flotation devices, especially for children. COVID-19 kept a lot of people off the water, he said, so these patrols are more important than ever.
“We would never be out here to spoil the fun,” said Jira. “We would like everybody to have a great time and be safe and be safe for the people around them, too.”
The way to do that, he said, is to stay sober while boating so that everyone can have a safe summer on the water.