Operation Dry Water encourages safe boating over 4th of July weekend

MANTEO, N.C. (WAVY) — On Thursday, thousands of boat owners in Hampton Roads and North Carolina will head out to enjoy the local waterways. If you’re one of them, there are some safety regulations you need to know about, as officials say they’re concerned about a rise in accidents.

“It’s been a busy season for us,” said Sgt. Anna Barbosa with the NC Wildlife Resources Commission.

The busy season has included two fatalities and three people airlifted to the hospital. Barbosa said she took one call just yesterday.

“There was a single vessel and they were pulling a tube, somebody had fallen off the boat and was subsequently injured as a result of that,” Barbosa said. “Both the operator and the person who fell in the water had been drinking.”

That’s where Operation Dry Water comes in.

The initiative takes place each year over the Fourth of July weekend, with increased patrols by law enforcement and the U.S. Coast Guard to reduce the number of alcohol and drug-related incidents on the water.

“Alcohol affects boaters differently than it does on land,” Barbosa said. “It’s often been said that one drink of alcohol on the water is the equivalent of three on land. There’s vibration from the water, the wind and the dehydration from the sun and air just increases those effects of alcohol.”

If you’re planning to drink, Barbosa suggests getting a designated driver, and she also said to make sure you have enough life jackets, a throw cushion, fire extinguisher, whistle and double check your navigation lights.

As Barbosa makes her rounds on Roanoke Sound, vacationers Holly and Maya Cornwell from Northern Virginia came prepared. The pair are spending their holiday jet-skiing.

“Safety is very important,” Holly Cornwell said. “Obviously we’ve got our life jackets on and just trying to have some good, safe fun out here on the water.”

Officers from all 56 U.S. states and territories are expected to participate in the 2024 Operation Dry Water initiative.

Last year, officers with the NC Wildlife Resources Commission contacted 4,257 boaters, made 40 boating under the influence (BUI) arrests and issued 1,087 citations and warnings for safety violations.

“Stay safe,” Barbosa said, “because we want everybody to have a great time out here on the water and then be able to go home at the end of their weekend.”

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