HADDAM, Connecticut — This holiday weekend, officers across the state and country will be out on the water working on a national campaign called Operation Dry Water, an initiative to curb drunk driving.

In Connecticut, officials from the state Department of Energy and Environmental Protection, the Environmental Protection Agency, local police, and the United States Coast Guard are involved in enforcement activities.

“We’re just making sure that everyone out here enjoying the water does so safely,” said Conservation Officer Tyler Johnson of EnCon Police.

Johnson is one of many police officers out on the water on the Fourth of July. Assigned to the Eastern District, he covers his base near the Haddam Meadows boat ramp.

“The next four or five days are really the busiest days of the entire season,” Johnson said. “We're looking for drunk boaters because most of our deaths on the water are alcohol-related.”

DEEP reports that alcohol played a role in 21% of all boating deaths from 2018 to 2023. In Connecticut, it is illegal to operate a boat with a blood alcohol content of .08 or more, which is the legal limit for operating a vehicle.

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“It's a misdemeanor, so they'll be arrested. Their boating license can be revoked, and there's a hearing process to get the boating license reinstated,” Johnson said.

While on the water, Johnson also looks for other violations.

“Every vessel must have a life jacket on board and accessible to everyone on the vessel. Children under 13 must wear this life jacket at all times,” Johnson said. “Boat operators must sit in the front and their passengers behind them. So you can't have a child in front of you and that child must be able to stand safely with both feet on the deck and hold on by themselves.”

Johnson said one of the most common violations he sees is failure to comply with no-wake zones.

“If you look at the launch again, you can see that when the boat is docked or pulled out, there is damage if one of the vessels is hit by a large stern wave. Then people can fall into the water,” Johnson said.

According to Johnson, all rules are designed to reduce the risk of boating accidents or tragedies.

“The water is unforgiving and it's not like a car where if you hit something you think, 'Oh yeah, the car will stop right there,'” Johnson said. “I mean, your boat will drift away from you very quickly and if you're not properly prepared, things can go wrong pretty quickly.”

For a refresher on Connecticut boating laws, visit this site.

RELATED: CT DEEP emphasizes water safety with Stew Leonard, Jr., Greater Waterbury YMCA

RELATED TOPICS: Operation Dry Water 2024 campaigns against drunk boating

Julia LeBlanc is a reporter at FOX61 News. She can be reached at [email protected] Follow her on Facebook, X And Instagram.

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