TWRA Issues July 4th Boating Report

The Tennessee Wildlife Resources Agency reports there were no fatal boating-related incidents over the four-day July 4^th holiday and Operation Dry Water weekend. Operation Dry Water is a three-day period of increased enforcement and education about the dangers of impaired boating around July 4^th, one of the busiest times of boating activity in the year.

There were nine serious injury incidents across the state. There were also nine property damage incidents reported.

TWRA boating officers made 28 alcohol-related boating under the influence (BUI) arrests, plus an additional three drug-related BUI arrests. Total BUI reports came in at 31, six more than over the holiday period last year. Officers checked close to 3,400 vessels, issued 555 written warnings and 351 verbal warnings, mostly due to marine events and compliance issues.

On small streams and rivers, officers checked close to 2,600 kayaks and canoes resulting in 21 citations. Eight simple possession citations were issued, as well as three littering citations.

The TWRA did report the state's 15^th boating-related fatality on the morning of July 6. The incident occurred on East Tennessee's Boone Lake in Washington County. This compares to 16 boating fatalities at this same time last year.

The TWRA Boating and Law Enforcement Division compiled this year's holiday statistics after receiving reports from the agency's four regions.