(The Center Square) – The Wisconsin Department of Natural Resources will have increased policing on Wisconsin waterways for the upcoming holiday weekend as it takes part in Operation Dry Water, a national campaign to prevent impaired boating.
Conservation wardens and local law enforcement will be on lakes and rivers watching for impaired driving and educating on safe boating.
“We want everyone to enjoy Wisconsin’s beautiful waterways this holiday weekend, but safety must come first,” said Major April Dombrowski, director of the DNR’s Recreational Safety and Outdoor Skills Bureau. “With Wisconsin hosting the national kickoff event in Green Bay, we are proud to lead the charge in keeping boaters safe across the country.”
The campaign comes after a 10-year-old died earlier this month following a June 7 boating accident at Idle Isle Park on Little Muskego Lake in Muskego. The DNR has not indicated if alcohol or drugs were involved but said that a boat operated by a 74-year-old man with one other person on board struck a stationary boat with three people on board, including the child.
The DNR reminds boaters that boating under the influence is illegal and alcohol is a leading contributing factor to recreational boating deaths nationwide.
Alcohol was a factor in 211 boating accidents with 79 deaths and 201 injuries in the most recent U.S. Coast Guard data from 2023.
The DNR is encouraging everyone on boats, not just the boat operator, to remain sober as well as boaters having properly fitted life jackets, having a float plan, monitoring weather and avoiding river shorelines and sandbars.
