DNR ramping up July 4th patrols to deter drunken boaters on Minnesota lakes

Drunken boating is drunken driving.

That's the message Minnesota law enforcement agencies want July 4th revelers to remember heading into the summer holiday.

During one of the busiest boating weekends of the year, the state Department of Natural Resources (DNR) is ramping up patrols on waterways as part of the 11th annual Operation Dry Water campaign, a national effort to deter boating while intoxicated.

The three-day crackdown runs Friday through Sunday.

"We have zero tolerance for boaters who endanger the lives of other boaters — or their own lives — by choosing to operate while under the influence," said Lt. Adam Block, a state boating administrator at the DNR. "The penalties for doing so have never been higher, but they pale in comparison to losing your life or ending someone else's life because of a choice you made."

Last year, 14 people died in boating accidents around the state. Alcohol was involved in half of the 26 total fatalities since 2017, which is higher than the five-year average, according to annual DNR data.

Four boaters have died so far in 2019, though it's unknown if alcohol was involved.

Because boaters don't face the same open-container laws as those on the road, many see area lakes as a scenic place to enjoy some beers. But water safety experts say the heat, wind and waves can make the effects of alcohol more dangerous.

Minnesota boasts some of the strongest boating while intoxicated laws in the country, Block said, meaning that people convicted of drinking and driving — on a boat, car or recreational vehicle — can lose their privilege to operate any of them.

The rules on the water are similar to those on the road: The state blood-alcohol limit for driving a boat or a vehicle is 0.08. Police agencies will generally only stop boaters exhibiting potentially dangerous behavior, such as aggressive or careless boating.

Officers also conduct field sobriety tests on rivers and lakes. Instead of walking in a straight line, those suspected of boating under the influence are asked to move their fists one at a time, in a step-like fashion, away from their body.

"While failure to wear a life jacket is the reason the majority of fatal boating accidents turn deadly, being intoxicated often is what causes people to end up in the water in the first place," said Block, who advised boaters to leave their alcohol on shore.

Liz Sawyer • 612-673-4648