‘Operation Dry Water’ to crack down on boating under the influence this 4th of July weekend

NASHVILLE, Tenn. (WKRN) — So far in 2024, the Tennessee Wildlife Resources Agency (TWRA) has responded to dozens of incidents involving drinking and boating.

Several of those incidents resulted in serious injuries and nearly ten were fatal. With a big holiday weekend out on the water approaching, officials are dedicating manpower in an effort to stop people who boat under the influence. It’s called Operation Dry Water .

In collaboration between several law enforcement agencies, there will be increased patrols and sobriety checkpoints across Tennessee waterways to prevent boating under the influence (BUI) of drugs and alcohol.

Several TWRA boats are scheduled to be out on Percy Priest Lake, Old Hickory and at the Cumberland River to be on the lookout for and arrest people committing BUI offenses. It’s set to happen from July 4-6 .

Captain Matt Brian with the TWRA told News 2 that detecting drunk boat operators can be more challenging than detecting drunk drivers, but the main thing they search for is reckless movement in congested areas.

“It is more difficult because you can go anywhere out on the water. That brings up the whole thing of just being aware of where you’re at and just being responsible while you’re out there,” said Brian. “Drunk driving, no matter where it’s at, it’s all the same. I think that for a long time, people have incorporated being out on the lake with just recreation. And it is. You’re out there to have fun, but we have to understand that these boats go so fast, and they weigh so much. We have to respect them.”

TWRA officials and other agencies held a joint press conference on Monday to discuss the effort.
Nicole Carter, who lost her husband and daughter in a BUI incident, was also there. She told the story of how her husband, David, and her daughter, Olivia, were hit by a man driving a jet ski while under the influence. David was instantly killed, and Olivia was airlifted to a hospital where she died.

“I’m never going to be able to see [my daughter] graduate high school, graduate college, walk her down the aisle, be there at her wedding, none of it. It was taken away. She was only six,” said Carter. “You can go through all the therapy, but every day I think of them. Every day I miss them. My whole world was completely changed because of this. Just be smart, have a designated driver, there is nothing wrong with that. To make sure that everybody gets home safe, why not?”

Operating a boat with a blood alcohol content of .08 percent or higher is illegal in Tennessee, which is the same as operating a motor vehicle. The consequences could include fines, jail time, and the loss of boating privileges.

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