ATLANTA — Several law enforcement agencies are warning people should be wary when they hit the water this summer, especially as they've seen an increase in intoxicated boating.
Georgia's Department of Natural Resources said game wardens would be patrolling starting Saturday as part of its Operation Dry Water initiative during the Fourth of July holiday. The agency describes it as a national weekend of education about boating under the influence and code enforcement.
"Alcohol use impairs a boater's judgment, balance, vision and reaction time. Not good if you want to avoid a potentially fatal incident," the DNR said in a social media post.
Since the Memorial Day holiday, the unofficial start of summer, four people have drowned in Lake Lanier, according to a Tuesday post from the Hall County Sheriff's Office. Three of those drowning deaths happened within the same seven-day period.
Deputies also said the DNR arrested eight boat operators on BUI charges last weekend.
"All of those people ended up at the Hall County Jail," the sheriff said.
Though Georgia's statistics may seem grim, U.S. Coast Guard data for 2021 shows a record drop in boating-related deaths compared to the year prior.
There were 658 boating fatalities nationwide last year, according to the U.S. Coast Guard. In 2020, there were 767 deaths.
However, alcohol was still the leading known contributing factor in deadly boating incidents since 2021, data shows, accounting for 86 deaths.
When the cause of death was known, the coast guard said 81% of deadly boating accident victims drowned. Of those drowning victims with reported life jacket usage, a majority of victims were not wearing a life jacket. This data is if details regarding life-jacket usage were made available to the agency.
Capt. Troy Glendye from the U.S. Coast Guard said most incidents happened when there were calm waters, light to no wind and good visibility.
“A life jacket is one of the most important safety items on your boat,” Glendye said in a news release. “It is critical to wear one when underway as it may be difficult to do in an emergency. The Coast Guard reminds boaters to ensure life jackets are serviceable, properly sized, correctly fastened, and suitable for your activity.”
U.S. Coast Guard leaders also shared that property damage relating to boats in 2021 totaled $67.5 million, an all-time high. The agency cited operator inattention, inexperience, machinery failure and excessive speed were some of the main contributing factors to boating accidents.
To combat these statistics, Coast Guard officials advise people to wear a life jacket and take a boating safety course and get a free vessel safety check before hitting the water, especially with a group of people.
In addition to wearing a life jacket and taking a boating safety course, the Coast Guard recommends all boaters to attach the engine cut-off switch, get a free vessel safety check, and boat sober.
For more information about boating laws in Georgia, click here.