Operation Dry Water Raises Boating While Drinking Awareness

Efforts during the summer to reign in boating while intoxicated were a success, according to law enforcement officials.

Operation Dry Water was conducted June 28-30. During that weekend, Village of Mamaroneck Police Department officers looked for boaters who were operating under the influence.

They made contact with 75 recreational boaters, issuing 34 citations and safety warnings and making 45 vessel contacts.

Results were released Tuesday.

The weekend was coordinated by the National Associations of State Boating Law Administrators and was designed to bring awareness and education to recreational boaters about the dangers of alcohol and drug use on the water.

Bay Constable Supervisor James Falco said the village makes it a priority to participate in Operation Dry Water every year.

"Both locally and nationally, this operation heightens the recreational boater's awareness about the issue of impaired boating," he said. "Adults and children are killed every year in accidents on the water caused by boaters who were operating under the influence of drugs or alcohol."

Recently, Jojo K. John, 35, of Nyack faced an 18-count indictment in the fatal boat crash on the Hudson River July 26. 

Killed in the crash Lindsey Stewart of Piermont and her fiancee's best man, Mark Lennon of Pearl River.

John allegedly had traces of cocaine in his system and a blood-alcohol level of 0.15, nearly twice the legal limit of 0.08.

Nationally, Operation Dry Water saw 290 BUI arrests and 140,000 contacts with boaters during the three-day period.

Since the launch of Operation Dry Water in 2009, the number of boating fatalities with alcohol named as a contributing factor has decreased from 19 percent to 17 percent in the United States.