NEWTON COUNTY, Ga. — The Georgia Department of Natural Resources is cracking down on people drinking and boating.
As of midnight Saturday during Memorial Day weekend, DNR officials had made 16 boating under the influence arrests. The number of BUI arrests was already higher than arrests made during 2021's holiday weekend.
Another 24 hours later, the number of BUIs jumped to 31.
The crackdown came after a number of tragic deaths over the holiday weekend.
At least five people died after two motorboats crashed Saturday along the Wilmington River. Four of the victims were members of the same family. A 45-year-old Savannah man was arrested, accused of boating while under the influence.
Over Memorial Day weekend in 2021, there was only one boating fatality and one drowning in Georgia. As of the morning of Memorial Day 2022, there had already been 5 boating fatalities and 4 drownings.
Boaters said they noticed the increased patrols.
“They were doing walk-throughs making sure everyone is behaving," said Doug Hinson, who was out on Jackson Lake on Monday afternoon. "They're doing a good job today."
A law passed in Georgia in 2013 increased penalties for boating under the influence, dropping the BAC threshold from .10 to .08. It also implemented a mandatory boating education course for anyone operating a watercraft.
In Georgia, DNR officials do not need probable cause to stop a boat, and anyone behind the wheel must legally consent to a sobriety test if requested.
DNR officials said their patrols will continue well after the Memorial Day Weekend as they crackdown on dangerous boating practices into the summer.