Looking forward to a relaxing boat ride this weekend with an ice chest full of cold beer? Better think again.
The Maine Warden Service and Maine Marine Patrol this weekend, June 25-27, will be participating in Operation Dry Water, a national coordinated effort of stepped-up law enforcement on boat operators under the influence of drugs or alcohol, or whose blood alcohol concentration exceeds the state limit. In Maine, the limit is 0.08 percent.
Operation Dry Water will include increased patrols looking for impaired operation, and also will focus on boater education and safety. Those operators who have been consuming will be subjected to field sobriety testing and, if warranted, breathalyzer analysis.
The public service announcement can be viewed at www.mefishwildlife.com. Also, the Maine Dept. of Inland Fisheries and Wildlife will post national Operation Dry Water public service announcements on its Facebook page this weekend, www.facebook.com/mefishwildlife.
Operation Dry Water is a joint program of the Maine Warden Service, Maine Marine Patrol, the National Association of State Boating Law Administrators, and the U.S. Coast Guard.
For more information, visit www.operationdrywater.org.