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Checkpoint nets eight arrests
Six cited for alcohol OUI

STAFF REPORTS
Today's News-Herald
Published Friday, July 2, 2010 10:12 PM MST

A checkpoint on Lake Havasu recently resulted in eight arrests and 59 warnings, according to a press release.

The Arizona Game and Fish Department’s Kingman regional office reported the operating under the influence (OUI) checkpoint during the final weekend in June resulted in 215 watercraft contacts in a four-hour period, the release stated.

Six watercraft operators were over the .08 blood-alcohol limit, one was for an OUI drugs, and one arrest was for “impaired to the slightest,” the release stated.

An estimated 73 percent of the watercrafts that were contacted were in compliance, but the two most common violations were not having a fire extinguisher and not having a portable rescue device.

Other warnings included insufficient lifejackets, expired registration and a child under 12 without a lifejacket, the release stated.

Of the 215 watercrafts, 28 percent of the operators had consumed alcohol, the release stated.

The game and fish department, the Mohave County Sheriff’s Office, U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, the Lake Havasu Police Department and the U.S. Bureau of Land Management conducted the checkpoint.

“I’d still like to see higher compliance rates,” stated Velma Holt, west sector supervisor for the Game and Fish Kingman office, in the press release. “While we arrested eight individuals, 28 percent of the boats we stopped had an operator who had consumed some alcohol. That means more than one-in-four boats we stopped had an operator who had been drinking.”

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Comments (11 comment(s))

HondaMom7 wrote on Jul 9, 2010 11:52 AM:

" Let us remember that an accident is something that can NOT be prevented. Driving while intoxicated is NOT an accident. So yes while there may be many accidents on the lake every year. There should NEVER be crashes involving an intoxicated driver. I am no expert, but I believe even 1 beer or alcohol beverage COULD impair ones ablity to operate machinery properly.(it's all going to depend on the person) Everyone needs to just practice common sense. Be safe out there- our lives are short as it is---- lets all have fun and enjoy it while we can. ~Live Laugh Love~ "

bill516 wrote on Jul 7, 2010 6:45 AM:

" man in the shadows, and desert.You are essentially correct although I don't believe 1-can of beer can impair most of us.I guess its better to be safe than sorry, keep it on the shore and use a designated driver.

I have friends in the ER @ HRMC and the stories I hear are hard to believe, its like do these have any sense at all.It runs the gamut, you name it seems to happen.Its a small lake with a lot of activity, maybe they should limit the numbers?? I don't have the answers, but coming from a coastal area myself I don't recall these things happening with such frequency, I mean its basic stuff like, no diving head first into lakes.Its not my intention to be insensitive, people need to use their smarts and look out for one another.We were wild as kids too, none of us died, and I can't recall anyone getting chopped up by a prop.Measure twice, cut once !!......Peace "

LakeLizard wrote on Jul 6, 2010 8:58 PM:

" rat..I highly doubt he is saying that it's a good thing the man died...it's terrible and it happens every year...but to say what could have been without the checkpoints...blah blah blah...No doubt there are idiots out there, but accidents happen with or without it being alcohol related "

man in the shadows wrote on Jul 6, 2010 3:26 PM:

" Bill516 your statement is short sighted, lets just ban people that drink alcohol and then drive on the lakes. There are far more people that respect life and property than those that dont. If you are one of those that cant go out on the lake without drinking to have a good time then so be it. People have associated alcohol with fun and if there is no alcohol then its no fun. Those people that cant have fun without drinking alcohol are a very small minority of people. The majority of responsibile people, that go out on the lake do not consume any alcohol if they are driving a watercraft. They seem to have as much or more fun than the alcohol induced stupor that the few seem to drink themselves to. Good luck with your ban. Oh and by the way its sad that you write that 10% is ok. 10% of the people that go out cause the death of innocent people. That 10 people out of 100 are effected by a drunk, intoxicated person that cant have fun without alcohol. "

77rvrrat wrote on Jul 6, 2010 1:41 PM:

" Wow... let me start by saying that I myself have been hit TWICE by a drunk driver, both times in Thompson Bay. The first time was by an off duty fire fighter!!! Who tried to hit and run... but the smart guy that he was hit me right in front of a police boat. He blew three times the legal limit. Thank God We were not hurt, that was on a fourth of July weekend. A year later on Labor day weekend I was hit by a 19 year old drunk girl who also blew three times the legal limit. That time we were not as lucky, 15 years later my nerve that was torn has yet to heal and is still painful, and scars to boot. On that note, I say ban alcohol on the lake, or at least go through a check point EVERY weekend before and after at the launch site. Oh and by the way, ever since these accidents my family and I "hide" in a cove to enjoy our vacation time. This past weekend while in Mallard cove I was minding my own business, floating on a tube tide to our anchored boat by one of the tables and low and behold some idiot pulling a wake boarder wasn't paying attention and was coming right for me.... I was not hit, thank God again, but I will tell you the wake boarder was no more than 10 feet from me as they turned!!!! So yeah to all you drunk you know what's if you want to kill yourself and each other be my guest... but stay the F away from me and my family.... I hope you all rot. =) "

Desertrat wrote on Jul 5, 2010 7:45 PM:

" Bill - tell that to the family of the guy that was killed this weekend on the lake. Checkpoints not needed? Yeah, right, imagine how many more injuries or deaths there could have been. Can you say DD? Then-no bs, no problem. Madd or no madd. Don't drink and drive, no hassles. "

bobo wrote on Jul 5, 2010 1:40 PM:

" This is why I don't go out on holiday weekends. Let's leave it for the Californians to enjoy and spend money$$$. But starting Tuesday...WAHOO!!....BEERS!! "

exhavasuvian wrote on Jul 3, 2010 12:49 PM:

" Nomore.........it looks like you're the one that needs to go back to school. Try spellcheck next time. Obviously, hooked-on-phonics hasn't worked for you "

nomore wrote on Jul 3, 2010 9:31 AM:

" Looks like someone needs to go back to school or are the useing the same math thay allways use that never adds up to realalty like there population numbers ???
But then thay are the dummest city in the USA arn`t they. "

tomgarven wrote on Jul 3, 2010 7:36 AM:

" And you thought it was o.k.to take the grand-kids on the lake on a busy weekend? Maybe not so much, LOL

Tom G. "

bill516 wrote on Jul 2, 2010 11:00 PM:

" Wht not just ban alcohol on the water all together, when they start arresting people for 'The slightest degree", waht does that mean .02, which is one beerThis crap comes from fraud groups like Madd who make millions and millions annually if not billions brewing lies like 30% of all fatalities are alcohol related, rubbish !! Check the numbers locally, its pretty easy to do, its about 10% "

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