PHILADELPHIA (KYW Newsradio) — Pennsylvania officials are cracking down on drunk boating this Fourth of July weekend.
Last year, 11 people in Pennsylvania died in boating-related accidents, according to Ron Evancho, waterways conservation officer with the Pennsylvania Fish and Boat Commission. He said none of them was wearing a life jacket.
“The law requires you have a life jacket on board for every person on your boat,” he said.
The commission, as well as several other agencies, are working together to promote Operation Dry Water, a national campaign aimed at raising awareness of drunk boating and enforcement of boating safety.
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As people take to the water for the holiday weekend, Evancho said they will distribute boating safety literature and patrol the waterways to make sure rules are being followed. They will also crack down on boaters using drugs or drinking alcohol, something they see a lot this time of year.
“Our patrols are stepped up quite a bit,” he said. “We will have several boats out there on the Delaware River, going all the way from the state line in New York — Pennsylvania waters — all the way down to the state of Delaware.”
A charge for boating under the influence can result in loss of boating privileges, fines or imprisonment.