LAS VEGAS (KLAS) — Nevada game wardens and the National Park Service (NPS) will be out in force July 4-6 in a cooperative effort to shut down drinking and boating.
The Nevada Department of Wildlife (NDOW) will have patrol boats on the water throughout the state, and there’s a cooperative effort to police Lake Mead over the holiday weekend. NDOW and NPS will partner to patrol the lake as part of “Operation Dry Water,” a national effort to reduce alcohol- and drug-related incidents on the water.
“Boating is a great way to celebrate Independence Day,” Game Warden Captain Buck Tingle, Nevada’s boating law administrator, said in a Monday news release. “But drinking and boating is a recipe for disaster. Our job is to ensure everyone’s safety on the water. If you’re boating under the influence, you could be ending your holiday in handcuffs.”
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Tingle said alcohol is the top factor in deadly boating accidents. “It slows your reflexes, clouds your judgment, and throws off your coordination. We want people to enjoy the holiday on the water—but above all, we want them to make it home safely,” he said.
The Operation Dry Water initiative increases patrols and sobriety checkpoints across the country during peak boating times, especially around the July 4th holiday.
Bullhead City police and the San Bernardino County Sheriff’s Office are also stepping up efforts along the Colorado River and in the Lake Havasu area during the holiday weekend…