Texas Game Wardens made 13 arrests and wrote 781 citations and warnings over the Labor Day weekend, officials say.
“With last year’s sharp increase in water-related tourism and accidents, our agency took every precaution available to ensure the safety of all visitors on the water and in our parks,” said Cody Jones, assistant commander for marine enforcement for the Texas Parks and Wildlife Department.
“We had 354 Texas Game Wardens on patrol and they made contact with at least 3,770 vessels on the water, confirming everyone aboard was equipped with life vests, children were supervised, and boats followed state law,” Jones added.
The increased patrols were partnered with boater education outreach programs, and TPWD officials said it helped deliver a 43-percent decrease in boating-related accidents and a 50-percent decrease in open water drownings compared to last year.
“For me, the numbers are an indicator that what we are doing is working,” Jones said. “Continuing to partner in communities across Texas, educating boaters while also supporting our wardens in the field with state-of-the-art equipment, new technology and sophisticated training, all pushes us to our goal of zero fatalities and zero boating accidents.”
