‘OPERATION DRY WATER’
Marine deputies ramping up lake patrol for holiday weekend
In an effort to promote safety on waterways in the area, the Oakland County Sheriff’s marine unit deputies are expected to step up their presence on lakes for the Independence Day holiday weekend.
“Operation Dry Water” is a national awareness and enforcement campaign intended to reduce accidents and fatalities due to alcohol and drug use on the water.
“We want everyone to enjoy the many things that make Oakland County such an attractive destination, but we want the holiday to be a safe one,” Oakland County Sheriff Mike Bouchard stated in a press release. “We know the Fourth of July holiday is the focal point of summer for many families. No matter whether you’re behind the wheel of a car or operating a boat, don’t drink alcohol and drive. There is only a downside for taking this kind of risk. Protect yourself, your family and your friends.”
Oakland County has 450 navigable lakes and 83,000 registered boats — the most of any county in the state — making it a popular place for water sports. The sheriff’s marine unit is the largest in Michigan, with more than 45 part-time marine deputies for quick response to emergencies on any of the county’s lakes. The unit includes a 13-member team of fulltime deputies specifically trained in dive and emergency rescue in virtually any weather or water condition. Equipment includes 23 patrol boats, two rapid response jump boats, one hovercraft, six all-terrain vehicles and three specialty boats for search and rescue emergencies.
Also, the sheriff’s office contracts with 12 communities to patrol 19 lakes: Cedar Island, Deer Lake, Lake Orion, Lower Straits Lake, Lake Sherwood, Lakeville Lake, Maceday Lake, North Commerce Lake, Orchard Lake, Pine Lake, Pontiac Lake, South Commerce Lake, Sylvan Lake, Upper Long Lake, Voorheis Lake, Walled Lake, Walnut Lake, White Lake and Williams Lake.
Operation Dry Water was launched in 2009 by the National Association of State Boating Law Administrators, in partnership with the U.S. Coast Guard as well as local, state and federal law enforcement. Last year, 575 local, state, and federal agencies participated in the campaign. Boating safety facts: • Operating a boat while under the influence of drugs or alcohol is illegal in every state. This includes
canoes and rowboats.
• Operating a boat with a blood alcohol content of .08 percent or higher violates federal law.
• The vast majority of those who drown in a recreational boating accident aren’t wearing a life jacket.
• Stressors common to the boating environment — sun, wind, noise, vibration and motion — can intensify effects of alcohol and drugs, and side effects of some medications.
• Alcohol use is the leading known contributing factor in fatal boating accidents.