LITTLE ROCK, Ark. — Arkansas is right in the middle of peak boating season, and the Arkansas Game and Fish Commission (AGFC) reported some good and bad regarding boater safety.
Sydney Grant is set to become the boating law administrator of the AGFC later this year and spent much of the July Fourth weekend working on Operation Dry Water, an effort to raise awareness of the dangers of boating while intoxicated, or BWI.
"It runs from the fourth through the sixth, so Thursday through Friday,” Grant said. “Our officers arrested over 23 people for BWI during that time period."
AGFC Chief of Communications Keith Stephens mentioned the 23 arrests, but said there were zero fatal boating accidents across Arkansas over the holiday weekend, a number he values highly.
“Last week, we didn't have any fatalities,” Stephens said. “Had a few boating accidents, but no fatalities... that's always our main goal."
But the BWIs are a problem.
Stephens said that being even slightly intoxicated can turn a fun weekend trip into a nightmare.
"We did have one that was almost three times the limit,” Stephens said of one arrest over the holiday. “We don't need to have people out there in a boat operating something like that that may hurt other people, get involved in an accident, or hurt themselves.”
According to Stephens, the best solution is not to drink; other alternatives exist.
"For some reason, you can't keep the party on the shore... have a designated driver operate the boat," Grant said. "Have a sober driver on that boat so you can still have fun and be safe."
Operation Dry Water also included checks for reckless boating, a lack of life jackets and other violations.
Click here for the AGFC's complete list for boating safely and legally.