CORALVILLE, Iowa – The unofficial first boating weekend of the summer is in the books and boaters at the Coralville Reservoir kept DNR Conservation Officers busy with Boating While Intoxicated arrests.
The Coralville Reservoir levels were high and many boat ramps were closed, but despite that, DNR Conservation Officers made three arrests.
On May 25, at approximately 7:45pm, a boat was dropping passengers off at a boat dock when a DNR Conservation Officer noticed a large number of passengers on the boat. While checking the passenger capacity of the vessel, the officer noticed signs of impairment with the male operator. The officer administered field sobriety tests and arrested him for boating while intoxicated.
On May 26, at approximately 6:30pm, DNR Conservation Officers stopped a black motorboat for displaying expired registration stickers near Mehaffey Bridge. The female operator of the boat admitted to consuming alcohol. After undergoing field sobriety tests, she was found to be under the influence of alcohol over the legal limit and arrested for Boating While Intoxicated.
On May 26, at approximately 9:45pm, a man left Bobber’s Grill operating a pontoon boat and was stopped by DNR Conservation Officers because the docking lights were interfering with the visibility of the navigation lights. The man admitted to drinking alcohol and after undergoing a field sobriety test was arrested for Boating While Intoxicated.
The DNR reminds boaters to celebrate responsibly while on the waters this summer. Do not operate a boat while over the .08 legal limit. Boaters should have a designated sober operator or avoid consuming alcohol while driving the boat. Be sure all safety features and equipment are on-board and functioning properly. DNR Conservation Officers will continue to patrol Iowa waterways to ensure a safe boating and recreational season.