Boating under the influence violations decreased during holiday weekend safety patrols 

HEBER SPRINGS — According to Sgt. Sydney Grant, Boating Law Administrator for the Arkansas Game and Fish Commission, 118 Arkansas Game Wardens worked a heightened enforcement detail over the Independence Day Weekend to increase boating safety on one of the state’s busiest boating holidays. At the end of the weekend more than 2,474 hours of AGFC manpower was spent working to keep Arkansas waters safe.

“Game wardens visited 1,897 vessels for more than 6,700 boater contacts over the three-day weekend,” Grant said. “One hundred and forty citations were issued, which is less than 10 percent of the vessels contacted. Officers also issued 353 warnings during the operation.”

Grant said the number of arrests for Boating Under the Influence saw a healthy decline this year, dropping from 23 during Independence Day Weekend in 2024 to 10 last weekend.

“It’s nice to see that number drop, but our goal is really to get those arrests and tickets down to zero,” Grant said. “Until then, we can always improve on our efforts to keep boaters safe.”

Grant said six boating accidents did occur over the weekend, including two fatalities, both on Lake Ouachita. Both fatalities are still under investigation, but preliminary indications point to a troubling continuation of non life-jacket use.

“It’s a sad truth we deal with in boating enforcement,” Grant said. “The vast majority of fatalities recorded from boating accidents could have been avoided if the victim were wearing a properly fitted, functional life jacket at the time of the accident. Quite a few of the citations and warnings issued over the weekend also point to life jacket issues. If one of those tickets reminds people to wear a life jacket next time and saves a life, it’s worth every hour our officers spend on the water.”

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CUTLINES:

DIVE TEAM BOAT
The AGFC Dive Team was one of many Arkansas game warden units that worked tirelessly to improve boating safety and assist with boating accidents last weekend. AGFC photo by Mike Wintroath.

KIDS ON BOAT
A properly fitting USCG-approved life jacket can be the difference between a fun day on the water and tragedy. AGFC photo.