KNOXVILLE, Tenn. — The Tennessee Wildlife Resources Agency said Wednesday they issued 31 citations for boating under the influence over the Fourth of July weekend. They said there were no fatalities reported.
Just over Operation Dry Water, which lasted from July 1 to July 3, the TWRA issued 23 citations. The operation was meant to prevent drinking and boating, which now carries the same penalties as drinking and driving in Tennessee.
The law requires that boating licenses be suspended for a year if boaters are convicted of a BUI. It also considers BUIs as a Class-A misdemeanor on the first offense, and people who are sentenced for BUIs can face up to a year in prison and a $1,500 fine. If their BAC is higher than .2%, they will also need to spend at least a week in prison.
On the second offense, boaters need to serve at least 45 days in prison and face a fine of up to $3,500. The third time, they need to spend at least 120 days in prison and face a fine of up to $10,000.
The fourth time, they will be sentenced as a felon and serve at least 150 days in prison. They could also face a fine of up to $15,000. The penalties continue increasing for subsequent offenses.
If a person is also caught boating and drinking with a child on board, they would be required to serve 30 days in prison and pay an additional fine of $1,000. If the child is hurt, they would face a Class D felony, meaning they would be punished as if they committed vehicular assault and face an additional fine of $1,000.