Large number of BUI arrests over 4th of July weekend puts Okaloosa County near record total

DESTIN — The Okaloosa County Sheriff’s Office Marine Unit arrested 17 intoxicated boaters over the Fourth of July weekend, putting the agency near another record year for boating under the influence arrests.

The OCSO, the Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission and Coast Guard had “all hands on deck” for Operation Dry Water from July 2-4 in anticipation of a large number of boaters in the area.

More about Operation Dry Water: Fourth of July weekend: Officials to crack down on BUIs, careless boating with Operation Dry Water

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Operation Dry Water, a nationwide enforcement and awareness campaign launched in 2009, is aimed at reducing the number of alcohol-related boating accidents, said Sgt. Kyle Corbitt, head of the OCSO Marine Unit.

Between the agencies, there were 10 to 12 boats patrolling everywhere from Crab Island to Choctawhatchee Bay each day. The OCSO Marine Unit made 255 vessel stops, issued 48 citations and made 17 boating under the influence arrests.

“We’ve had a big push for this because Okaloosa County is always ranked in the top 10 in the state in boating crashes and fatalities,” Corbitt said. “We teamed up with FWC and the Coast Guard because the majority of our boat crashes that are fatalities involve impaired operators.”

Last year in Florida, 23% of fatal boating accidents were related to alcohol or drug use. Okaloosa County was ranked seventh in the state for boating accidents in 2021, with 39 crashes reported by the FWC.

A number of crashes typically occur over the Fourth of July weekend.

There were 79 boating accidents and two fatalities reported during July in Florida last year. However, despite large numbers of boats on the water for the holiday weekend, Corbitt said there were no major injuries or crashes in Okaloosa County.

“There were a couple little fender benders but no significant crashes. No significant injuries that were reported,” he said. “So it was actually the first holiday weekend in a long time where we didn’t have any major boating crashes or serious injuries.”

Increased enforcement and awareness are two factors Corbitt believes may have played a roll in preventing serious injuries. Most of the citations were written at Crab Island, Destin Harbor and near Brooks Bridge.

Seven citations were for refusing to provide a breath sample. The rest involved safety infractions such as not having the proper life jacket and violating no-wake zones.

This year’s BUI arrests also outmatched the 12 made during the Fourth of July weekend in 2021. Corbitt said it was one of the largest numbers of arrests over the holiday weekend to date.

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“This year it was definitely busier than years past for sure,” he said. “Since COVID and with a bunch of people buying boats and coming in town to the beach, every year it’s getting busier and busier.”

The OCSO Marine Unit now has made a total of 76 BUI arrests so far this year. That puts the agency above the 62 made in 2020, when the OCSO booked more people for BUIs than any other sheriff’s office or police department in Florida.

The OCSO held on to that title last year with 83 BUI arrests, again putting the agency at No. 1 in the state. With several months of boating weather still ahead, Corbitt said it is likely that the Marine Unit will again surpass its record total of BUI arrests this year.

“We don’t have just the 100 days of summer anymore, what we used to call it. It’s almost going into November and even early December where we’re having tourists longer throughout the year,” he Corbitt said. “So we’ll definitely get past our totals that we had last year, I’m sure.”

BUI arrests have been trending upward for the past four years. In 2017, only three intoxicated boaters were arrested. The county increased manpower that year after a rise in distressed swimmers and speeding violations at areas like Crab Island.

Alcohol can impair a boater’s judgment, balance, vision and reduce reaction time. Like driving under the influence, operating a vessel while impaired can significantly increase risk of injury or a crash.

The same blood alcohol concentration of 0.08 or higher applies on the roads and the water. Anyone in violation of BUI laws faces a fine of up to $1,000 or imprisonment of up to six months for the first conviction.

“Understand what you’re doing out there in the water. It’s not like drinking at a bar in a controlled environment,” Corbitt said. “Being out there on the water, your level of intoxication can be raised rather quickly being out in the sun all day.”

While deputies remained busy off and on the beaches over the Fourth of July weekend, Corbitt said he ultimately considers the enforcement efforts successful.

“Whenever we have a holiday weekend — especially July Fourth weekend, which is typically our busiest weekend of the year — we have a weekend like this where we don’t have any serious crashes or serious injuries, I think it was overall definitely a good weekend for us and for our tourists and locals alike,” he said.

This article originally appeared on Northwest Florida Daily News: Okaloosa County nears record BUI arrests after July 4th weekend