The Georgia Department of
Natural Resources Law Enforcement operations in the four-county area including
Lake Lanier is down to two boats to patrol the entire lake looking for people
boating under the influence of alcohol.
Thursday, July 5, 2012
Boat Patrols Face Challenges in Policing Lake Lanier
FLOWERY BRANCH — Despite the June
deaths of two young boys on the waters Lake Lanier, Sgt. Mike Burgamy did not
expect any drop in the number of Fourth of July revelers populating the
37,000-acre reservoir - or in arrests.
As a matter of fact, Burgamy, who
oversees the Georgia Department of Natural
Resource Law Enforcement operations in a four-county area including Lake
Lanier, said that cases of BUI - boating under the influence - are well into
the double digits even after the tragedy.
On June 18, brothers Griffin and Jake
Prince, 13 and 9 respectively, were killed when a pontoon boat navigated by
their father was struck by a fishing boat driven by Paul J. Bennett of Cumming.
The 44-year-old salon owner was arrested a day later or boating under the
influence and faces a possible charge of homicide by vessel.
Normally Burgamy's patrol force for
Lanier has six watercrafts, but this year two boats are in the shop and there's
no manpower for two others.
Surrounding counties answered a
last-minute call for holiday assistance, with Gwinnett providing a crew for one
of the idled boats, Forsyth chipping in two more boats and Hall adding a jet
ski and a marine rescue unit equipped with paramedics and divers.
Fourth of July Was Busy
"It gets as busy as an
interstate out here. It's only 10 a.m. and it's already getting crowded,"
Burgamy said Wednesday as he made a quick preliminary tour of a small slice of
the lake. "If the weather holds, I'll have made a few arrests before
sundown. I'd be willing to bet my dinner on it."
By late afternoon Burgamy said he hadn't
made any BUI arrests but had issued a half-dozen lesser citations and responded
to numerous complaints from boaters.
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| Photo by Bob Andres |
Policing the estimated 7 million
people who visit the lake each year can get overwhelming for the DNR. Last year
alone, there were 28 boating-related accidents that resulted in injuries or
involved alcohol. In addition to BUI, Burgamy writes up violations for towing a
skier without an observer, improper registration or lack of it, expired
licenses, inadequate equipment such as too few life vests. His officers have
even made a drug bust or two.
Most violations occur around Sunset
Cove, a popular docking area that operates a draft house and a tiki bar,
Burgamy said. But the partying is not limited to the shore. Boaters also drop
anchor in the cove and swim from boat to boat.
"I see them pull out of there
just on the borderline of being sober to flat out knee-wobbling drunk,"
said Burgamy. "We understand that folks want to get on the lake and have
fun, but designating a driver could solve so many problems."
Lack of Water Safety Education The Problem
Burgamy said he needs more manpower,
but he also said lack of education about water safety is a chronic problem.
"People just don't know the
rules of the road. They're amateurs who overestimate their skills behind the
wheel of a boat," he said.
While Burgamy sees boaters making
mistakes every day, the easiest to correct is letting someone know where they
are going. Recently, his phone rang at two a.m. and on the other end was a wife
frantically looking for her husband. He didn't know the area and she had no
clue where he might be. It turned out he had boat trouble but was all right.
"A simple float plan and a
cellphone could've prevented a lot of heartache," he said.
Family Spends Day Boating On Lake
Daniel Jones, 34, of Newnan packed
up a cooler with beers and sodas at a QuikTrip on Friendship Road before
planning to spend all day on Lake Lanier. Jones said he would not be partaking
of the alcoholic beverages, however.
"I am proudly the designated
boater today," he said. "It's my boat and my responsibility. I'm also
responsible for all of the people on it."
Jones, who said he has been boating
all his life, and his wife Kristie, 31, were saddened by the deaths of the
young brothers.
"It didn't have to
happen," said Kristie Jones. "If people would just watch out for one
another out there, things like this could be prevented. Especially the jet
skiers that drive too close to other boats."
Her husband said that as a child he
was almost struck by a boat and that perhaps that is why he is so vigilant.
"I am totally aware of my
surroundings at all times," said Daniel Jones. "I have a lot of fun,
but I take it very seriously."
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