[Montgomery, Ala.] – Alabama State Troopers assigned to the Alabama Law Enforcement Agency’s (ALEA) Marine Patrol Division spent Memorial Day weekend enforcing boating laws and assisting boaters on Alabama’s waterways.
The holiday weekend enforcement period – from May 22 to 25 – covered the Gulf of Mexico, as well as state rivers and lakes. Activities included 21 Boating Under the Influence (BUI) arrests, six boating crash investigations, five boater assists. The Troopers also assisted other agencies with two non-boating fatalities. In one of the incidents, a man drowned on Elmore County’s Lake Jordan. The other individual suffered a fatal heart attack on the gulf.
ALEA participated in National Safe Boating Week on May 16 to 22, and the agency continues to promote the theme “Wear It!” as a reminder to ensure everyone on board a boat wears or has access to a life jacket. Still, Troopers during the three-day weekend issued 29 citations for Insufficient PDF (personal flotation device).
“Please don’t forget your life jackets. They are the easiest life-saving strategy for boaters of all ages,” said Col. John E. Richardson, director of ALEA’s Department of Public Safety, which comprises Marine Patrol and Highway Patrol Divisions. “Let’s insist that everyone on the boat ‘Wear It!’ to be safe.”
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