RAPID CITY, S.D. – South Dakota conservation officers arrested 11 people for operating a boat while intoxicated during the Fourth of July holiday weekend as part of the national Operation Dry Water campaign.
The South Dakota Game, Fish and Parks Department says 69 conservation officers took part in enhanced patrols from July 3rd through 5th, conducting 36 enforcement operations on lakes and rivers statewide.
During the three-day effort, officers checked more than 1,000 vessels and made contact with nearly 3,800 boaters. In addition to the 11 BUI arrests, officers issued 74 citations and 195 warnings, while also addressing more than 100 non-boating violations.
Officials say impaired boating remains the leading cause of recreational boating deaths nationwide. With summer still underway, Game, Fish and Parks is urging boaters to make safe choices and always designate a sober operator before heading out on the water.
