Crackdown On Drinking And Boating This Weekend

MINNEAPOLIS (WCCO) -- Get caught drinking and boating, and you could get jail time.

That was the message from the Department of Natural Resources ahead of a crackdown on drunken boaters.

"Operation Dry Water" starts nationwide this weekend. Hundreds of officers will be out on the water across Minnesota.

On Wednesday, The DNR wanted to get the word out about the importance of being safe while also having fun.

Over the past five years, an average of 42 percent of fatal boating accidents were alcohol related, the DNR said.

Last year, alcohol was a factor in six out of 14 boating deaths.

As the July 4 holiday weekend approaches, officials say they tend to see more violations.

In Minnesota, the blood alcohol level of .08 or higher while operating a boat is against the law.

Officers hope this campaign will stop boaters from making the wrong decision.

"We have zero tolerance for those people violating the intoxication laws," Adam Block, a conservation officer with the DNR. "You will not get a warning. You will be arrested."

Boating and drinking comes with stiff penalties: jail time, fines and possibly losing the boat itself.

The increased enforcement starts Friday and runs through Sunday.