Staff writer
ORANGE PARK – Federal, state and local law enforcement agencies have been coordinating efforts in preparation for a nationwide Fourth of July weekend crackdown on boating under the influence of alcohol or drugs.
Clay County Sheriff’s Office marine enforcement deputies joined Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission officers and members of the U.S. Coast Guard in a three-day practice run beginning Friday, June 6, for Operation Dry Water.
The dress rehearsal took place on the west side of Doctors Lake Bridge and at various points along Black Creek and the St. Johns River. Several boats were inspected, two BUIs were issued and a Jacksonville woman was charged with unsafe operation of a vehicle when the jet ski she was driving broadsided a friend’s jet ski on Black Creek west of the State Road 209 bridge, according to Sheriff’s Deputy Chris Castelli.
The friend was taken to Orange Park Medical Center for a leg injury, and alcohol did not appear to be a factor in the mishap, Castelli said.
Last year, alcohol played a role in 28 percent of fatal accidents in Florida waters, according to Fish and Wildlife figures. That figure is up from 21 percent in 2007, and is in contrast to a downward trend at the national level, where alcohol-related deaths, injuries and accidents have fallen from a high of 704 in 1998 to 421 in 2007, according to an annual report published by the U.S. Coast Guard.
Fish and Wildlife Capt. Richard Moore, who also is president of the National Association of State Boating Law Administrators, said in a recent news release that his commission will have “zero tolerance” for boating under the influence.
“We want people to have fun while recreational boating,”
With that in mind, teams of law enforcement agencies plan to make random safety checks throughout the Fourth of July weekend, according to Castelli.
He said that the effort is a proactive one that is meant to help prevent accidents rather than inconvenience people as they enjoy Clay County’s natural resources.
“Hopefully we’re getting the word out,” Castelli said. “We don’t need probable cause to inspect a boat, so people don’t need to panic if they get pulled over. This is about [accident] prevention.”
However, probable cause is required to conduct specially designed field sobriety tests onboard.
“We will have a hard eye on BUI [during inspections],” Castelli said.
He said that BUI arrests are considered the same as DUIs, which means a boater can be taken into custody if he or she has a blood alcohol content of 0.08 percent or higher.
Though his office has made only two BUI arrests this year, Castelli says that boaters who operate their vessels while impaired remain a danger to themselves and others after they reach shore.
“They’re going to be a [car or truck] driver when they get to the boat amp,” he said.
Fish and Wildlife officer Bob Burris, who grew up on
“Our biggest enemy out there is the [weather] elements,” said Burris, who witnessed his share of human and drug smuggling while working in the
Larry Haddock, a member of the sheriff’s office reserve unit who worked with Castelli and Burris over the weekend, said he expects “a lot of traffic” on
“I’ve been on these waters all my life,” Haddock said. “You just never know” what kind of activity to expect.
