HONOLULU – The Coast Guard, in coordination with the State of Hawaii Department of Land and Natural Resources and State of Hawaii Department Of Transportation Harbors Division, will be participating in the third annual nationwide, multi-agency Boating Under the Influence (BUI) education, detection and enforcement campaign this summer.
The Coast Guard and Coast Guard Auxiliary are expanding this outreach program to increase awareness and education amongst all recreational and commercial waterway users throughout the Hawaiian Islands. They will be conducting a summer-long BUI outreach campaign with Hawaii’s numerous harbor masters and marina facility managers.
Operation Dry Water, June 24-26, is a national weekend of BUI education and enforcement aimed at reducing alcohol and drug-related accidents and fatalities. Held each year during the weekend before the Fourth of July, Operation Dry Water is coordinated by the National Association of State Boating Law Administrators (NASBLA) in partnership with the states, the Coast Guard and other partner organizations.
The goal for Operation Dry Water is to significantly reduce the number of alcohol related accidents, injuries, and deaths among recreational boaters. Operation Dry Water directly supports a variety of objectives identified in the National Recreational Boating Safety Strategic Plan that focuses on reducing deaths and injuries nationally.
Boating under the influence is dangerous and illegal. Alcohol continues to be a leading cause in recreational boating related accidents, injuries and deaths. Alcohol was a contributing factor in 17 percent of all recreational boating deaths nationwide in 2009.
“We intend to stop intoxicated boaters and to educate as many boaters as possible about the hazards of boating under the influence,” said Capt. Joanna Nunan, Commander, Coast Guard Sector Honolulu.
The NASBLA is a national nonprofit organization that works to develop public policy for recreational boating safety. NASBLA represents the recreational boating authorities of all 50 states and the U.S. territories. NASBLA offers a variety of resources including, training, model acts, education standards and publications. Through a national network of thousands of professional educators, law enforcement officers and volunteers, NASBLA affects the lives of over 83 million American boaters.
For more information about Operation Dry Water, contact Lt. Cmdr. Marcella Granquist, Coast Guard Marine Safety Outreach Coordinator, at 808-842-2600 or visit it on the web at www.operationdrywater.org or http://homeport.uscg.mil/honolulu.
