Wildlife Agents to Focus on Drunken Boaters

Wildlife and Fisheries Agents will be out in force this weekend looking for intoxicated boaters.  

They call it Operation Dry Water and they've been doing this since 2009.  During last year's Operation Dry Water, LDWF agents issued five DWI citations to boat operators.  The year before, they handed out ten.  The three-day operation starts Friday and runs through Sunday.

Louisiana had 25 boating fatalities last year and alcohol played a role in six of them.  Nationwide, 17 percent of all boating fatalities last year listed alcohol as a contributing factor.

In Louisiana, a DWI on the water carries the same penalties and fines as a DWI on the road.  First offense DWI carries a fine of any where from $300 to $1,000 and up to six months in jail.  Second and third offense DWIs carry even higher fines and penalties.  Also, you lose your driver's license and boating privileges for a specified time and DWIs are added together whether they're received on the road or in a boat.

More information is available at www.operationdrywater.org