FWC Northeast Region reports boating statistics for Memorial Day weekend

~ 14 BUI arrests and NO serious boating accidents or fatalities ~

Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission (FWC)

Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission (FWC) officers patrol and investigate more than 8,400 miles of coastline, 13,200 square miles of offshore waters and more than 34 million acres of land encompassing the beautiful state of Florida, and they all had one main objective over Memorial Day weekend: keeping boaters safe.

FWC officers in the Northeast Region were out in full force patrolling Florida’s waterways. The Northeast Region consists of 12 counties, (north to south on its eastern side): St. Johns, Flagler, Volusia, Brevard and Indian counties; (north to south on its western side): Putnam, Marion, Sumter, Lake, Orange and Osceola counties; and (above Orange County in its center): Seminole County.

Partnering with other law enforcement agencies, FWC officers conducted public teaching on boating safety prior to the holiday, and they continued with public education while on patrol for reckless or impaired operators during the Memorial day boating weekend.

During May 25, 26 and 27, 2024, FWC officers in the Northeast Region arrested 14 vessel operators for boating under the influence, and there were no fatal or serious boating accidents reported in the region.

“Our officers take educating the public and patrolling our waterways for reckless or dangerous behavior very seriously” said Maj. Jay Russel, Northeast Regional Commander. “They have one goal, and that is to save lives. To be able to report that there were no serious injuries or lives lost over such a high traffic weekend makes the time and effort they put in worth it.”

The FWC reminds all boaters to enjoy time with friends and family but do so safely and don’t forget to designate a sober operator before departing from the dock. For more information about boating safety, VISIT MyFWC.com/boating/safety-education/safety-tips or CALL 888-404-FWCC (3922).

To report dangerous boating activity the public can submit anonymous tips by TEXTING 847411 (Tip411) with the keyword “FWC” followed by the location and any information about the violation.

There is an easy to use, downloadable iPhone or Android APP called “FWC Wildlife Alert” that can be downloaded at the links below.
Download “FWC Wildlife Alert for Android devices at
https://play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=com.citizenobserver.wildlifealert.
Download “FWC Wildlife Alert for Apple (IOS) devices at
https://apps.apple.com/ng/app/fwc-wildlife-alert/id6443472929.