TEXAS PARKS & WILDLIFE With a sharp rise in boating- related fatalities and a spike in arrests for boating while intoxicated (BWI), Texas Game Wardens remind boaters to follow the rules and safety precautions that can help them avoid preventable accidents as they head to the water to beat the summer heat.
As of June 30, Texas has experienced 59 water-related fatalities this year, including 38 open-water drownings and 21 boating-related deaths. That’s a 75% increase in boating-related fatalities from this time last year.
From Memorial Day weekend through the end of June, 12 people died in open-water drownings, six succumbed to boating-related incidents and 13 people were arrested for BWI. Game wardens issued 213 citations for life jacket violations during the month of June.
