Heightened Enforcement of BUI Laws to Take Place June 26-28

 The Kansas Department of Wildlife, Parks and Tourism (KDWPT) will be participating in the National Association of State Boating Law Administrators “Operation Dry Water” (ODW) event, June 26-28. ODW is a nationally-coordinated effort to reduce the number of accidents and deaths related to boating under the influence (BUI). During this three-day period, KDWPT officers will be conducting increased patrols, breathalyzer tests, and checkpoints, as well as providing boater education and outreach.

“Studies have found that people become impaired faster when boating as opposed to driving due to additional factors such as heat, dehydration, wind and wave action,” said KDWPT assistant director of law enforcement, Major Dan Hesket. “Our goal is to promote awareness of the hazards relating to boat operations while intoxicated and to prevent any accidents, injuries, or deaths due to operating while impaired.”

Hesket encourages anyone who suspects a boater to be intoxicated to dial 911 and provide the operator with the location, the suspect boat’s registration numbers, and a complete description of the operator and passengers.

Boaters whose blood alcohol content (BAC) level exceeds the state limit of .08 percent can expect to be arrested for BUI and face other serious penalties including fines, jail time and loss of boating or even driving privileges.

According to Hesket, the KDWPT Law Enforcement Division averages approximately 11 special enforcement efforts over the ODW weekend, resulting in four to eight BUI arrests each year.

For more information, visit operationdrywater.org.

Related articles

• Clarksville Police Department to Conduct High-Visibility Enforcement during National Crackdown on Boating Under the Influence (clarksvilleonline.com)
• Operation Dry Water Reminds Boaters to Stay Safe, Stay Sober (theroanokestar.com)
• Campaign to end boating under influence to ramp up in June (washingtontimes.com)

Water Safety Can Prevent Drowning

Recent heavy downpours and flood warnings issued this spring should serve as reminders to everyone spending time outdoors to be cautious around rising or moving water. A sudden influx of water from a severe thunderstorm can make peacefully flowing streams dangerous, flood roadways and create hidden washouts. Rising water levels in lakes can hide obstacles from boaters and drop-offs from swimmers and waders. However, a few simple safety rules can keep everyone safe.

When boating, observe all Kansas boating regulations, including having properly fitting life jackets in reach for everyone onboard. Boating laws require all youngsters 12 and younger to wear life jackets while on the water, and it’s smart for everyone onboard to wear life jackets. If the lake level has recently risen, boaters must be aware that obstacles hidden just beneath the surface can cause damage and serious accidents. Be cautious and operate at safe speeds near shore.

For those swimming or wading in lakes and streams, be aware that moving water can be much more powerful than it appears and undercurrents near low-water crossings, low-head dams, and logjams can create death traps. Remember that swift moving water can soften or undercut stream banks, so keep well back from the water’s edge. Swim only in designated areas on reservoirs and avoid jumping, diving or wading into unknown waters. Children should be kept in sight at all times near water, and it’s a good idea to strap a life jacket on them if they’re going to be near water.

If you’re driving and waters suddenly rise, remember that just 6 inches of water will reach the bottom of most cars, and many vehicles will start to float in just one foot of water. Two feet of moving water can easily sweep even a large SUV off the road. When in you encounter water over a roadway, heed the warning, “Turn around, don’t drown.”

After the long-term drought much of Kansas endured prior to 2014, we can’t complain about rainfall. However, there can be too much of a good thing, especially with water. Just remember to use common sense and err on the side of caution.

ALL EYES ON KIDS NEAR WATER

Safe Kids Kansas campaigns to prevent childhood drowning
TOPEKA — It’s a warm summer day, and you’re at the beach with your kids. Your cell phone rings, and you answer it, shifting your focus from your kids to the conversation. Good idea? Not at all, according to Safe Kids Kansas, a coalition of more than 70 statewide and regional organizations and businesses dedicated to preventing unintentional injuries to Kansas children. In fact, taking your eyes off a child near water, however briefly, could be deadly. Children can get into trouble in a matter of seconds around water, so Safe Kids Kansas recommends that parents keep their eyes on their kids at all times when they are in or near the water.
Drowning is the second highest cause of unintentional death for children ages one to four and 10 to 14 in the U.S. And when it comes to water, “the safety of home” is an axiom that does not apply. In fact, most pool submersion deaths and injuries occur at a home pool.

In the U.S., approximately 830 children ages 14 and younger die each year due to unintentional drowning, and there are an estimated 3,600 injuries to children after near-drowning incidents each year. From 2000-2008 there were 129 unintentional injuries from near-drowning related incidents among Kansas kids age 14 and younger. From 2000-2009, there were 73 unintentional drowning-related deaths in Kansans age 14 years and younger. Three-quarters of these deaths were children age three and younger.

“Kids drown quickly and quietly,” says Cherie Sage, state director for Safe Kids Kansas. “A drowning child cannot cry or shout for help. The most important precaution for parents is active supervision. Simply being near your child is not necessarily supervising.”

To help keep kids safe near water, Safe Kids Kansas recommends the following precautions:

• actively supervise children in and around water. Don’t leave, even for a moment. Stay where you can see, hear, and reach kids in water. Avoid talking on the phone, preparing a meal, reading, and other distractions;
• enroll kids in swimming lessons about age four, but don’t assume swimming lessons make your child immune to drowning. There is no substitute for active supervision;
• don’t rely on inflatable swimming toys such as “water wings” and noodles. If a child can’t swim, keep him within arm’s reach;
• learn infant and child CPR. In less than two hours, parents can learn effective interventions that can give a fighting chance to a child whose breathing and heartbeat have stopped. Contact a local hospital, fire department, recreation department, or Red Cross office for information about local CPR classes; and
• keep rescue equipment, a phone, and emergency numbers by the pool.

Some people bring inflatable and portable pools to state parks, and these guidelines apply to water away from the beach, as well. Even 5-gallon buckets of water can be deadly to a toddler. Such water sources should be emptied and stored out of reach when not in use.

Even a near-drowning incident can have lifelong consequences. Kids who survive a near-drowning may have brain damage, and after four to six minutes under water, the damage is usually irreversible. Although 90 percent of parents say they supervise their children while swimming, many acknowledge that they engage in other distracting activities at the same time — talking, eating, reading, or taking care of another child.

For more information about drowning and water safety, call Safe Kids Kansas at 785-296-0351 or visit www.safekids.org.

And don’t forget boating safety. The Kansas Department of Wildlife and Parks reminds boaters that all youngsters 12 and younger must wear personal flotation devices when onboard. For more information on boating safety, visit the Kansas Department of Wildlife and Parks website, www.kdwp.state.ks.us, and click “Boating.”