In support of Operation Dry Water and in partnership with the United States Coast Guard (USCG) and Louisiana State Police (LSP), the Louisiana Department of Wildlife and Fisheries (LDWF) Enforcement Division arrested 19 boaters statewide for alleged driving or operating a vessel while intoxicated (DWI) from July 4 to July 6 as part of the National Association of State Boating Law Administrator’s Operation Dry Water campaign.

“We are proud of the hard work our agents put forth during Operation Dry Water weekend. Our Enforcement Division will continue to focus on the safety of our boaters by removing impaired drivers from the water,” said LDWF Secretary Tyler Bosworth. “We are also thankful for USCG and LSP for their continued support for boating safety in Louisiana.”

On July 4, agents arrested the following for DWI:

Michael H. Mclendon, 35, of Homer, on Lake Claiborne in Claiborne Parish.

On July 5, agents arrested the following for DWI:

Peyton Wafer, 22, of Dubberly, on Lake Bisteneau in Webster Parish.

On July 6, agents arrested the following for DWI:

Tristan M. Guidry, 29, of Coral Springs, Florida, in Henderson Bay in St. Martin Parish.

In Ouachita Parish on July 4, a boat was heading up river on the Ouachita River with six people on board when they struck a fixed object in the water that punctured the hull of the vessel. One person needed medical treatment following this incident.

In Jackson Parish on July 5, a bay boat accidentally backed into a parked pontoon boat at the Ebenezer Boat Launch on Caney Lake. No injuries were reported for this incident.

Anyone cited for a DWI on the water or on the road will lose his or her driver’s license and boating privileges for the specified time ordered by the judge in the case. Also, each offense of operating a vehicle or vessel while intoxicated counts toward the total number of DWI crimes whether they happened on the water or road.

In Louisiana a DWI can be issued to anyone operating a moving vessel or vehicle while impaired. First offense DWI carries a $300 to $1,000 fine and up to six months in jail.

Hit and run without fatalities or serious injuries carries up to a $500 fine and 10 days to six months in jail. Reckless operation of a vessel brings up to a $200 fine and 90 days in jail.