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OCSO increasing lake patrols Fourth of July weekend
From July 1-3, the Oakland County Sheriff's Office will have increased lake patrols as part of Operation Dry Water.
OAKLAND COUNTY, Mich. (FOX 2) - This Fourth of July weekend, extra lake patrol units with the Oakland County Sheriff's Office will be out making sure boaters stay safe.
"Obviously, on the 4th of July weekend, it’s hot out… people are drinking more," said OCSO Sgt. Brian Burwell. "They’re dehydrated when they’re on the boat and because of the motion of the boat, it’s sometimes hard to judge 'maybe I’ve had a little bit too much to drink' and the alcohol starts affecting them."
Sgt. Burwell is the head of the Dive, Search and Rescue team of the OCSO's Marine Division. The division is part of a national initiative called Operation Dry Water. It's a national awareness and enforcement campaign to reduce accidents from boating under the influence and fatalities on the water.
There are 450 navigable lakes and 83,000 registered boats, the most of any county in Michigan according to the OCSO.
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"We have right now a little more than 50 deputies deployed around the county. We also have our search and rescue team which is 17 team members. They’re also out there," said Sgt. Burwell. "Oakland County is also partners with the Southeast Michigan dive group; that’s the largest dive response group in the state."
The OCSO reminds residents that it is illegal in every state to operate a boat, including canoes and rowboats, under the influence of alcohol or drugs.
It's important for people to remember the basics such as letting your family know where you're going and when you'll come back and to watch out for injuries on the dock.
"Life jackets, don’t work if you don’t wear them. Little things like making sure your boat is filled up… you’d be surprised how many boaters run out of fuel," said Sgt. Burwell. "When you go on the lake, take the time to open up the cabinets and look through them to make sure you know where your emergency equipment is. People when they are launching their boat or coming back in, they tend to put themselves between the dock and the boat, and they end up getting their hands pinched or sprain an ankle jumping on the boat."
In 2022, 630 local, state and federal agencies and 7,800 officers participated in Operation Dry Water. Over the three-day heightened awareness week, officers made 794 boating under the influence arrests and issued over 45,000 citations and warnings for safety violations.
"We want people to go out and enjoy the water. We want them to go out and have fun within moderation," Sgt. Burwell said.