TAMPA, Fla. -- Heading into the Fourth of July holiday, the Hillsborough County Sheriff's Office wants boaters to be aware: Boat sober or face the consequences.
- "Operation Dry Water" this week around Hillsborough County waters
- Patrol boats to be out in full force
- Open containers allowed but authorities will look for impaired boat drivers
This weekend, Hillsborough County Sheriff’s Office is upping patrols, will be out in full force, and sending a stern message about the deadly dangers of boating under the influence, especially in rough weather.
It's all part of the national campaign "Operation Dry Water."
Master Deputy Scott Jones has been patrolling the waterways for years and has responded to any and every type of emergency. While it's supposed to be fun and adventurous, boating can be extremely dangerous.
"Things out here on the water can happen in a split second," Master Deputy Jones said. "Emergencies happen all the time and with drinking in the mix it makes it that much more dangerous."
If you mix in alcohol with the bad weather plus lack of experience, Jones said the results can be deadly. He said boating under the influence can be even more dangerous than drinking and driving.
"A lot of people don't understand in a boat you don't have breaks," Jones said.
On a typical, sunny, holiday weekend, you’ll see thousands of boats out on the water. Master Deputy Jones said you could crash, get stranded, or sink.
As far as the law goes, Jones said you are allowed to have open containers on your vessel but the marine units will be out in full force this Fourth of July weekend checking for impaired drivers.
He said his biggest piece of advice is to pack enough life jackets for everyone on board.
"We've responded to incidents where they don't know where they are in the boat, they don't know how to put them on, and they don't know how to swim and that's a recipe for disaster," Master Deputy Jones said.
Operation Dry Water is a year round, national campaign to raise awareness about boating under the influence but there will be heightened enforcement throughout the weekend.