The Bainbridge Island Police Department will join state and county authorities for Operation Dry Water, a series of emphasis patrols targeting those boating under the influence, on waterways across the Washington from Friday, June 29 through Sunday, July 1.

Police are asking boaters to help keep everyone safe by not consuming alcohol or marijuana while out on the water, especially when operating a boat.

“Operating a boat while under the influence puts everyone on the water at risk,” said Sgt. Ben Sias, of the Bainbridge police department. “Factors such as wind, sun, noise and a boat’s rocking movement amplify the effects of alcohol and drugs. Balance, vision, reaction time and decision-making skills decrease and the likelihood of an accident increases.”

Operation Dry Water is a national awareness and enforcement campaign focused on reducing the number of alcohol and drug-related boating accidents and fatalities. As part of the campaign, emphasis patrols are conducted annually near the Fourth of July, a holiday known for increased boating activities and use of alcohol, during which law enforcement sees a reported increase in the number of boating accidents and fatalities.

According to the Coast Guard, boating under the influence is the leading known contributing factor in fatal recreational boating accidents. Last year in Washington state, alcohol and drugs were a primary factor in 44 percent of fatal boating accidents. From 2006 to 2016, 57 deaths were attributed to boating under the influence.

In Washington, it is illegal to use any substance that impairs a person’s ability to operate a boat. The law applies to all boats, including kayaks, canoes, rowboats and inflatable fishing rafts. State law allows law enforcement officers to require suspected intoxicated boaters to submit to a breath or blood test, and refusing to submit to a test is a civil infraction with a maximum fine of $2,050.

The penalty for operating a boat under the influence is a gross misdemeanor punishable by a maximum fine of $5,000 and 364 days in jail.

Additionally, a BUI charge is considered a prior offense if there are later convictions for driving under the influence (DUI).

“The Boating Program’s goal — and the goal of Operation Dry Water — is to educate boaters about the laws regarding boating under the influence and the dangers of boating while drunk or high,” said Bainbridge Police Chief Matthew Hamner.

“Boat operators need to remember that other boaters and paddlers on the water depend on them to be alert and in control of their vessel at all times,” Sias added.