MADISON, Wis. – The Wisconsin Department of Natural Resources (DNR) today announced the results of this year’s Operation Dry Water campaign, held over the weekend of July 3-5.
Operation Dry Water is a national initiative dedicated to reducing alcohol and drug-related boating incidents and fatalities through education and enforcement. The goal is to provide safe waterways for all.
As part of the national event to educate boaters about the importance of sober operation, more than 1,700 boats were contacted for education and safety purposes, with 25 impaired boat operators apprehended by wardens. Wardens also issued nearly 900 warnings and more than 200 citations to boaters for safety violations. Wardens worked cooperatively with numerous local law enforcement agencies across the state.
Warden Tim Price was patrolling in the right place at the right time to save a woman’s life on the night of July 4. Warden Price was on the Eagle River Chain when he noticed a person at the back of the pontoon but in the water. He approached the area and saw it was a person who had fallen off the boat without wearing a life jacket and was sinking. Warden Price pulled the person from the water and found the person was intoxicated.
Capt. Tyler Strelow and Warden Nick Engelhardt were on boat patrol on Lake Wisconsin when a man on a sandbar who appeared highly intoxicated began yelling to the wardens. The man then boarded a personal watercraft and began driving towards the wardens. The wardens arrested the man for operating a boat while intoxicated.
Wardens were also called in to help with other incidents. Wardens Mike Hirschboeck and Taylor Meinholz assisted the Racine County Sheriff’s Department with downed power lines and welfare checks after a severe storm powered through Racine, Kenosha and Walworth counties in the southeast. Additionally, Warden Brandon Smith, Lt. Jen Burrow-Niemeyer and Community Service Officer Jared Meinert joined Richard Bong State Recreation Area staff with their storm response, which included checking on campers and road closures to support clean-up and utility restoration.
Learn more about the campaign on the Operation Dry Water website.
Information on Wisconsin boating regulations and education courses can be found on the DNR’s Boating webpage.
