POLK COUNTY, Fla. — More than a dozen people in Tampa Bay were arrested by Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission for boating under the influence this holiday weekend. That number is expected to rise after FWC finishes patrolling Tuesday night.
"There tends to be double, almost triple the amount of boats that are normally out on the weekends," FWC investigator, Jacob Carter, said. FWC reports Florida leads the country with the most registered vessels.
FWC officers spent their Fourth of July patrolling our waterways to make sure everyone was safe. Patrols have increased on holiday weekends in years past.
"There’s been a lot more enforcement out here so there’s been a lot more visual enforcement," Carter said.
Carter explained when it comes to BUIs, having law enforcement patrols on the water act as a deterrent.
"I’ve seen a lot more people make sure they have a designated driver," Carter explained.
From Saturday to Monday, FWC officers arrested 13 people for BUI in the Tampa Bay area.
FWC said they also responded to six boating accidents in that same time frame. Plus, one fatality in Hernando County.
Officers explained a BUI is different from a DUI. The BUI sobriety test is done sitting down, as opposed to with a DUI a portion is walking.
Officers also said someone who gets a BUI doesn't lose their driver's license. Just like on the road, the legal limit on the water remains at .08 for alcohol tolerance.
It’s easier to get pulled over on the water. Officer Carter said he will stop boats to make sure they have the right safety equipment. In some cases, that's when he can tell there were signs of drinking and driving.
"Once I get to the boat and start talking to them, that’s when I start seeing different signs," Carter said.
FWC said they will have new numbers for how many were arrested in the Tampa Bay area in total over the Fourth of July on Wednesday.
First-time offenders for BUI face a fine of no more than $1,000 and up to six months in jail.