AUSTIN – Despite the landfall of Hurricane Beryl, Texas Game Wardens worked hard to keep Texans safe as they celebrated the Fourth of July on the water.

Between July 4-6, 402 game wardens contacted 10,034 vessels, issued 1,326 citations and 1,794 warnings for various boating safety violations. Wardens filed 32 boating while intoxicated (BWI) charges and five driving while intoxicated (DWI) charges, two of which were drug related. Additionally, another 30 people were arrested for various other crimes.

“Texas Game Wardens’ dedication to public safety in the face of challenges brought on by Hurricane Beryl was nothing short of remarkable,” said Col. Chad Jones, Texas Parks and Wildlife Department (TPWD) law enforcement director. “These statistics are a testament to the positive impact they continue to make on Texas’s public waterways.”

Texas Game Wardens, the United States Coast Guard and thousands of law enforcement officers across the country participated in Operation Dry Water. This nationally coordinated enforcement campaign prevents boating under the influence. Wardens saw the number of BWI cases drop from 56 during the 2023 holiday weekend to 32 this year. They did, however, file five DWI cases compared to the four last year. The highest blood-alcohol concentration recorded by wardens over the holiday was 0.236.

“As an agency, we have been participating in Operation Dry Water since its inception in 2009,” said Cody Jones, Texas Game Warden assistant commander for marine enforcement. “We attribute the drop in BWI cases from last year in part to our outreach efforts about the dangers of BWI and increased patrols over the holiday. Texas Game Wardens will continue to participate in this operation and continue to play their part in keeping the public safe on the water.”

Another important aspect of Operation Dry Water is boating safety awareness. The TPWD boating education team traveled to multiple water bodies to conduct educational outreach regarding boating and water safety. While partnering with several agencies, the team spoke with people launching 265 vessels, including 462 adults and 80 children at Canyon Lake, Lake Austin, Joe Pool Lake and Lake Tawakoni.

“Many water safety incidents can be avoided by observing boating and water safety practices,” said Kimberly Sorensen, TPWD boating education manager. “Our team tries to reach as many people as possible to spread this message and appreciate when other agencies partner with us.”

Sorensen and team also handed out free life jackets, donated by Fruend Foundation, to boaters and swimmers at Canyon Lake. The life jackets come with an explanation on proper sizing, the importance of wearing them and a reminder that in some instances, wearing a personal floatation device or life jacket is required by law.

Over the course of the holiday, game wardens also conducted multiple open water rescues and responded to 22 boating accidents and five boating related fatalities. Two fatalities occurred in the Gulf of Mexico near Galveston, two at Lake Ray Hubbard and one at Lake Conroe. Wardens also responded to four open water drownings: two at Lake Texoma, one at the Cedar Creek Reservoir and one in the Trinity River near Lake Livingston.

In addition to the increased boating and water safety patrols for wardens over the holiday, they also assisted other first responders with medical emergencies, helped with multiple search and rescues, prevented a suicide attempt, provided first aid to an unresponsive individual before EMS arrived and more.

The Texas Game Warden Aviation Unit assisted game wardens in South Texas with water safety and riverbed regulation enforcement. Wardens in the helicopter were able to relay information and points of interest to ground crews. The joint operation resulted in locating 30 vehicles, ATVs and UTVs illegally in and along the riverbed with multiple cases pending. Aviation also aided wardens in the Port Aransas and Corpus Christi areas, flying the helicopter along beaches to look for water safety concerns.

“I want to commend game wardens for the work they did in light of the drought in some parts of the state, flooding in other parts and all while preparing to respond to the incoming hurricane,” said Cody Jones. “Despite all the adversity, wardens and educators were able to make a positive impact across the state.”