ST. GEORGE — With the Fourth of July approaching, there will be an increased presence of law enforcement looking out for impaired boaters.
Operation Dry Water, a campaign focusing on reducing the number of recreational boating accidents or fatalities due to drugs and alcohol, will be in effect Friday through Sunday for all Southern Utah lakes, including Sand Hollow.
Sand Hollow officials will be asking for additional rangers from parks that don’t have bodies of water and will be pulling their boat from Gunlock Reservoir to have an increased presence on the lake, said Sand Hollow park ranger Darren Tucker.
According to DrivingLaws.org, Utah law enforcement prosecutes boating under the influence the same as driving under the influence, so having a blood alcohol concentration level of .05 or more is against the law.
The heat also affects alcohol differently than being at room temperature, Tucker said.
“What you can reasonably drink at home will spike you pretty high in the heat,” he said.
According to 2017 recreational boating statistics, alcohol is the leading factor in fatal boating accidents, accounting for 19 percent of deaths. So far in 2018, Tucker said Sand Hollow has had three BUI incidents.
In order to stay safe out on the water, Tucker recommended that boaters wear life jackets, hydrate and be aware of their surroundings. Another way boaters can stay safe is by taking a boating education course, which they can take online for a fee of $34.50.
For more information on Operation Dry Water, click here.
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Twitter: @STGnews | @markeekaenews
Copyright St. George News, SaintGeorgeUtah.com LLC, 2018, all rights reserved.
What better way to end a sun burnt, wind blown, day of drinking 3.2 beer, than by waking up in Purgatory Correctional with a 1st degree hangover, a 3rd degree sunburn, and a Class A misdemeanor resulting in a little mandatory jail time for you personally, as well as your boat and vehicle you used to get to that shade less, bug infested waterhole. Naturally your BFF’s will have to catch an Uber home. Oh let’s not forget the fines! Getting your boat out of impound after you’ve posted your own bail of course, then you’ve got the actual DUI fines somewhere between $1500 – $3000, drivers license suspension 30-90 days! No thanks! I’d rather stay home, and drown in my bathtub!
Lol, it would take a lot of crappy 3.2 Utah beer to cause a hangover, but your right. It’s just not worth it.
Probably gallons, hahahahah
Speaking of “Crappy Beer”, is it just me, or do the millennial’s drink a lot of beer, (Natural Lite, Pabst Blue Ribbon etc.) that 30 years ago you’d have to use the “out of the house ” restroom, cause people didn’t even want it in their toilets? PBR was always a “Least effort beer” 2nd only to the $1.25 a six pack, generic / or default, white can, with black block lettering on one side that was too the point “BEER”. That was it. And they think they’re “Progressive”.
I agree Batshitzoo. AND, what’s up with all these I.P.A.’s ? And worse yet, low alcohol Utah IPA’s? I love my beer and I even brew my own at times but I can’t stand that swill. Even my son ( A beer drinkin’ millennial) can’t stand the stuff. Since I’ve moved here (from a state that “allows” real beer) I’ve asked myself on more than one occasion, ” What has more alcohol in it, Utah beer or this here lake?”
watered down goat piss. Actual goat piss might taste better.