Drinking and driving can be deadly -- and that applies to people operating boats, too.

An annual Fourth of July initiative to promote sober boating is underway this weekend, July 4-6. Operation Dry Water was developed through the National Association of State Boating Law Administrators (NASBLA).

Other WRAL Top Stories

During Operation Dry Water, boaters and swimmers can expect increased boat patrols from the United States Coast Guard and the North Carolina Wildlife Resources Commission at popular bodies of water, including at Jordan Lake, where five drownings have been reported so far in 2024, including three since May.

Operation Dry Water takes place every year over the Fourth of July weekend, which experts say is one of the busiest times for boating.

Last year, N.C. Wildlife made over 40 arrests for boating under the influence and issued more than 1,000 citations over the holiday weekend. The incidents included two deaths and three people airlifted to the hospital.

Experts say boating under the influence is very dangerous.

"The main thing we're doing is just making sure everybody's safe," said Ty Walker, an N.C. Wildlife law enforcement officer. "Whether that's wearing a life jacket [or] making sure people aren't drinking and driving. You know, making sure everybody gets home get home safe."

Just like driving a car, it is unlawful to operate a boat or recreational vessel with an alcohol concentration of .08 or higher or while being appreciably impaired by alcohol or drugs. A boating under the influence (BUI) arrest can result up to $1,000 in fines and up to 60 days in jail.

People enjoying the water should make sure there is a designated driver on the boat and encourage everyone to wear a life jacket.

The initiative also raises awareness of other safe boating practices. According to N.C. Wildlife, so far this year, 37 boating incidents have occurred in North Carolina, and seven were fatal.

Life jackets make a big difference. Last year in North Carolina, boating incidents resulted in 19 deaths. Of those, 17 were not wearing a life jacket.

The Chatham County Sheriff’s Office told WRAL News it uses a boat to patrol a portion of Jordan Lake, but drowning incidents still occur.

Capt. Phillip Richard with the sheriff's office recommends knowing your location so you can relay that information to emergency responders in the event of an emergency.

Swimmers and boaters are also encouraged to stay in popular areas, such as designated swimming areas and docks, where they can be reached quickly.

"We try to push people to use the designated swim areas," Richard said. "Those are areas that are carved out by state parks that are designated swim areas like Parks Creek, Seaforth Beach Area, Ebenezer Beach area ... that will make it clear for us if you are using the designated swim areas.”

This week, Eduardo Martinez, 52, of Carrboro, drowned while swimming in Jordan Lake in an area near the intersection of Martha’s Chapel Road and Farrington Road.

In June, a man drowned while fishing with friends. In May, a 16-year-old from Winston-Salem drowned while celebrating a friend's birthday at the Ebenezer Picnic Area in New Hill.