It was a busy 4th of July holiday weekend for Texas game wardens.
TPWD wardens maintained a strong presence on lakes, rivers and coastal waters across Texas, contacting more than 10,800 vessels while participating in Operation Dry Water, a nationwide campaign focused on reducing the number of alcohol- and drug- related incidents and fatalities through awareness and enforcement of boating under the influence on the state’s waterways.
Between July 3-5, 417 game wardens contacted 10,817 vessels, issued 1,466 citations and 1,974 warnings for various boating safety violations, filed 62 boating while intoxicated (BWI) charges and four driving while intoxicated (DWI) charges. Wardens also made 20 additional arrests for various other offenses.
The 62 BWI charges represent the highest number filed by Texas Game Wardens during the Fourth of July holiday weekend since 2019.
Despite responding to 25 boating incidents over the weekend, game wardens did not receive any reports of boating-related fatalities, although numerous incidents involved serious bodily injury. There were also two open-water drownings; one at Lake Hawkins in Wood County and one at Lake Palo Pinto in Palo Pinto County along with numerous calls for boating assistance statewide.
“Thousands of Texans and visitors safely enjoyed time on the water this holiday weekend, and we’re grateful the majority of boaters made responsible decisions by wearing life jackets, avoiding alcohol and watching out for each other,” said Col. Ron VanderRoest, Texas Parks and Wildlife Department (TPWD) Law Enforcement Division director. “At the same time, the two lives lost are a sad reminder of how quickly tragedy can strike and the importance of remaining vigilant.”
In addition to boating safety enforcement, game wardens responded to numerous significant incidents, including several vessel collisions, a reported hit-and-run involving a personal watercraft, medical emergencies, arrests for possession of controlled substances, multiple suspected human trafficking cases discovered during calls for service and proactive enforcement, and the rescue of a kayaker who had been in the water for approximately three hours without a life jacket after capsizing.
Photo by TPWD.
