# Texas Game Wardens File 62 BWI Charges, Confirm Two Drownings Over Fourth of July Weekend
Texas Game Wardens flooded the state’s lakes and rivers with patrols this Fourth of July, resulting in the highest number of boating while intoxicated arrests recorded during the holiday in seven years — even as two people lost their lives in separate drowning incidents.
## Record Enforcement Numbers
According to a report released by the Texas Parks and Wildlife Department, ,417 game wardens made contact with 10,817 vessels between July 3 and July 5, handing out 1,466 citations and 1,974 warnings for a range of boating safety infractions,. Officers also ,filed 62 boating while intoxicated charges and four driving while intoxicated charges, during the three-day stretch, while ,making 20 additional arrests for various other offenses,.
State officials say the spike in impaired-boating arrests marks a notable shift in enforcement outcomes. ,The 62 BWI charges represent the highest number filed by Texas Game Wardens during the Fourth of July holiday weekend since 2019,, the department confirmed.
The crackdown was part of a coordinated push tied to Operation Dry Water, ,a nationwide campaign focused on reducing the number of alcohol- and drug-related incidents and fatalities through awareness and enforcement of boating under the influence on the state’s waterways,.
## Two Lives Lost Despite Heavy Patrols
While no boat crashes proved deadly this year, tragedy still struck on the open water. ,Game wardens responded to 25 boating incidents over the weekend but did not receive any reports of boating-related fatalities, although numerous incidents involved serious bodily injury. There were also two open-water drownings — one at Lake Hawkins in Wood County and another at Lake Palo Pinto in Palo Pinto County,, along with a steady stream of calls for boating assistance from across the state.
Col. Ron VanderRoest, director of TPWD’s Law Enforcement Division, struck a balanced tone in acknowledging both the successes and the losses. ,”Thousands of Texans and visitors safely enjoyed time on the water this holiday weekend, and we’re grateful the majority of boaters made responsible decisions by wearing life jackets, avoiding alcohol, and watching out for each other,”, VanderRoest said. He added, ,”the two lives lost are a sad reminder of how quickly tragedy can strike and the importance of remaining vigilant.”,
## A Weekend Full of Unusual Calls
Beyond the routine safety stops, wardens found themselves handling an unusually wide array of emergencies. ,Officers responded to several vessel collisions, a reported hit-and-run involving a personal watercraft, medical emergencies, arrests for possession of controlled substances, multiple suspected human trafficking cases discovered during calls for service and proactive enforcement, and the rescue of a kayaker who had been in the water for approximately three hours without a life jacket after capsizing,.
VanderRoest praised his officers’ work identifying dangerous operators before disaster could strike. ,”Texas Game Wardens did exactly what Operation Dry Water is designed to do by identifying and removing impaired operators before someone gets hurt,”, he said, though he cautioned that enforcement alone can’t eliminate every risk. ,”While we’re proud of the work wardens accomplished this weekend, the safest holiday weekend is one where everyone chooses to avoid alcohol and drugs on the water,”, he added.
## North Texas Outreach Efforts
The department didn’t rely solely on citations and arrests to get its safety message across. ,Through TPWD’s Adopt-A-Ramp program, volunteers made 393 contacts with boaters at Joe Pool Lake, Lake Lavon and Lake Bastrop, sharing information about boating laws, life jacket use and safe boating practices before people launched, — all lakes well known to North Texas residents. ,TPWD also hosted a Fill the Boat life jacket donation event at Cedar Hill State Park, as part of the broader outreach push. According to organizers, ,the event collected 23 adult life jackets, three youth and infant life jackets and three canine life jackets,, which will later be distributed to loaner stations around the state.
## Looking Ahead
Officials say the enforcement push won’t end with the holiday. ,Texas Game Wardens will continue proactive boating safety patrols, education efforts and outreach throughout the summer, encouraging everyone on the water to wear a properly fitted life jacket, designate a sober operator, monitor changing weather conditions and complete boater education,.
The department is also asking boaters to help keep waterways safe by reporting dangerous or illegal activity through Operation Game Thief, the state’s wildlife crime-stoppers hotline. With Texas lakes expected to stay packed through the rest of the summer season, officials are urging residents — particularly those heading to popular North Texas destinations like Lake Lewisville, Lake Grapevine and Lake Ray Hubbard — to plan ahead, designate sober boat operators, and treat life jackets as a non-negotiable part of any day on the water.