NEWS
RELEASE
Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission
June 29, 1998
CONTACT: Lt. Joy M. Hill (352) 732-1225
STAY ON THE WATER AND OFF THE BOOZE THIS JULY 4TH
The hot, dry weather combined with the usual holiday festivities will mean lots of people will be out boating on the lakes and rivers of Central Florida this 4th of July weekend. A fair number will likely bring along a cooler full of alcoholic beverages to make the outing more "fun." But "fun" can turn to tragedy in the blink of an eye.
The Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission (FWC) encourages all boaters to appoint a designated operator if alcohol is to be part of their boating plans. A designated operator is someone who can operate the boat and will not be partaking in alcoholic beverages for the day. Several merchants along the St. Johns River will once again be participating in the FWC's Designated Operator Program for the third year in a row.
"The Designated Operator Program rewards boaters who do the right thing and choose not to operate their vessels under the influence of alcohol. Designated operators receive special wristbands from law enforcement officers while on the water, which entitles them to free or discounted food or beverages at participating merchants along the river," said Capt. Wayne King, FWC area supervisor.
The FWC, in cooperation with Central Florida Chapter of Mothers Against Drunk Drivers, instituted the highly successful program three years ago on the St. Johns River during the three major boating holiday weekends: Memorial Day, July 4th and Labor Day.
FWC wildlife officers will be out in force this weekend hoping to help prevent needless tragedies like the one that occurred over the Memorial Day Weekend when a Marion County boater lost his life in a boating accident on Lake Weir.
Officers will be doing free safety inspections of boats to be sure boaters have all the required safety equipment on board, including properly fitting life jackets for everyone in the boat. They will also be checking to be sure that children under the age of 6 are wearing their life jackets, and they will be arresting those boat operators who are driving their boats under the influence of alcohol.
"This year drunk operators will have one more thing to worry about - a new law that restores the $500 civil penalty for anyone who is lawfully arrested for BUI and refuses to submit to a blood, breath or urine test," said King. "This will give us one more tool to help crack down on drunk boat operators."
This restoration of a previous law was the result of the efforts of the family of Kelly Johnson, a 15-year- old girl who was killed a year and a half ago in an alcohol-related boating accident on the St. Johns River.
Here are a few statistics that show the FWC's Division of Law Enforcement boating safety efforts over the Memorial Day Weekend in its 12-county Central Region. Officers expect to be at least as busy this weekend.