“If you are found to be operating a vessel under the influence, you will be going to jail,” Harbor Police warn ahead of the city’s Fourth of July Big Bay Boom fireworks bash. With past incidents and rising national security concerns, they’re cutting zero corners this Independence Day.
All hands on deck: The San Diego Harbor Police Department is battening down the hatches on drinking and boating ahead of the Fourth of July holiday weekend. Backed by the U.S. Coast Guard and neighboring counties, officers are bracing for a wave of buzzed boaters.
Based on recent alarming data, police say that heightened patrolling and zero-tolerance enforcement will be in full effect this Independence Day, prioritizing the safety of San Diegans and travelers at the beloved annual Big Bay Boom fireworks show.
“As the statistics have shown us, the accidents go up during the summer months,” Harbor Lieutenant Victor Banuelos recently told ABC 10 News, as his department prepares to tighten its jaws around vacationers ‘boating under the influence’ (BUI) with sharpened patrols.
“Every officer is gonna work 12.5 hours minimum,” he added. “We’re gonna have our officers out doing proactive stops on vessels.”
San Diego Harbor Police’s efforts to curtail intoxicated joy rides this Fourth are anchored in the city’s decision to join “Operation Dry Water,” a nationwide campaign against drunk boating that peaks around Independence Day. On Monday, Harbor Police announced they’ve climbed aboard the initiative ahead of the fireworks show, aiming to keep the party afloat with heightened patrols, vessel checks, and sobriety tests.
A sobering display of the city’s dedication to serve and protect, the Harbor Police have hammered home their concern all over social media, advertising their “zero tolerance” for BUI, noting it’s “just as dangerous as driving under the influence.”
“Our goal: zero tolerance, zero tragedies,” SDHPD Officer Krantz stated in an Instagram post. “If you are found to be operating a vessel under the influence of drugs or alcohol, you will be going to jail that weekend.”
The strong current of law enforcement this year is anything but unfounded, as rising BUI incidents in the past couple of summers have put federal and local agencies on high alert. In 2023, the U.S. Coast Guard reported alcohol and drug use as the leading cause of fatal boating crashes, accounting for at least 17% of all deaths on American waterways.
Those stats are just a drop in the bottle — over 500 BUI arrests were made nationwide last Fourth, with alcohol revealed as the root cause of boating deaths. In San Diego alone, Harbor Police regrettably recorded 42 accidents in 2024, according to the Times of San Diego.
And on top of padding their patrols with that extra level of life preservers for any tipsy freedom-lovers, Harbor Police are also primed to respond to potential threats or emergencies tied to ongoing international tensions facing the U.S.
“[We’ll have] officers in plain clothes, K-9 explosive detection, [and] a dive team. We’re gonna have a SWAT team on duty, [and] a command vehicle on duty. We’re gonna have an armored vehicle ready,” Lt. Banuelos reassured, taking no chances with public safety this Fourth.
Duly cautious, SDHPD still intends for the harbor and beaches to stay open — anticipating a smooth sailing and safe, memorable addition to a cherished American tradition.
