On Saturday, June 25, the Lake County Sheriff’s Marine Patrol Unit conducted the boating under the influence checkpoint from 3 p.m. to 6 p.m. off of Beakban Island and Leubow Point, according to Capt. James Bauman.
Bauman said it was the third BUI checkpoint coordinated by the sheriff’s office in conjunction with “Operation Dry Water” since 2009.
Law enforcement personnel from California State Parks and the California Department of Fish and Game assisted with Saturday’s operation, he said.
The BUI checkpoint was intended to reduce the number of alcohol-related accidents and injuries, and to enforce other California boating laws on the waters of Clear Lake. Boaters were stopped briefly and questioned, according to Bauman.
He said that any boat operators showing signs of alcohol use, intoxication or impairment, were subjected to further testing.
During the operational period, a total of 33 boaters were contacted and screened. Bauman said seven operators were given field sobriety tests and no arrests were made for boating under the influence of alcohol.
“Operation Dry Water” was launched in 2009 by the National Association of State Boating Law Administrators (NASBLA) in partnership with the United States Coast Guard and has been a highly successful effort to draw public attention to the hazards of boating under the influence of alcohol and drugs, Bauman reported.
Held in June just prior to the July 4 holiday, Operation Dry Water is a national weekend of BUI detection and enforcement aimed at reducing the number of alcohol and drug-related accidents and fatalities and fostering a stronger and more visible deterrent to alcohol and drug use on the water. Bauman said Operation Dry Water is coordinated by NASBLA, in partnership with the states, the U.S. Coast Guard and other agencies.
Bauman said the Lake County Sheriff’s Office considered Saturday’s operation a great success in that no arrests were necessary.
Members of the Marine Patrol Unit and officers assisting from other agencies received a great deal of positive feedback from boaters going through the checkpoint on Saturday, he said.
Sheriff Frank Rivero expressed his deepest gratitude to those members of the California Department of Fish and Game and California State Parks for their participation and support of the BUI checkpoint operation.
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