PORT ANGELES – The Clallam County Sheriff’s Office will be cracking down on boaters who are drinking over the Fourth of July holiday weekend.
The office’s marine unit will be conducting heightened enforcement as part of the national “Operation Dry Water” campaign, and will be out for extra patrols July 3rd-5th.
Law enforcement will be focused on educating boaters about safe boating practices, which includes boating sober, and enforcing the state’s boating under the influence laws. Sheriff’s officials say drinking and boating incidents are more of a problem in the summer months as the weather warms and more people take to the water.
Operating a vessel under the influence of alcohol or drugs is illegal on all bodies of water. In Washington, it is illegal to operate a vessel with a BAC level of .08 or higher – the same as it is to operate a dry-land vehicle.