NASHVILLE, Tenn. — The Tennessee Wildlife Resources Agency said there were 25 arrests made over the July 4 holiday for boating under the influence.
The holiday lasted over three days and TWRA said they increased their enforcement during the Operation Dry Water campaign. There were nine arrests in the Upper Cumberland and Chattanooga area, eight in East Tennessee, seven in Middle Tennessee and one in West Tennessee.
TWRA also said there was a single fatal incident over the entire Fourth of July holiday. They said a 10-year-old girl was on a tube being pulled by a pontoon boat when the tube made contact with the boat's motor. It happened in Decatur County, in West Tennessee.
The TWRA said they are investigating the incident. There have been 16 boating-related fatalities in Tennessee so far this year, compared to 13 at the same time last year.
There was also an incident where a person was seriously injured on Fort Loudoun Lake. They said a personal watercraft was towing an inner tube with two juveniles when they were thrown into the side of an anchored pontoon boat. Both juveniles were taken to the hospital.
TWRA also said they responded to eight incidents involving property damage over the Fourth of July holiday.