Summer for many people means spending time with friends and family on the water boating, swimming, fishing or just being outdoors. Last August, the Carroll family and their friends were doing just that on Shearon Harris Lake in Chatham County. Some members of the group were cooling off in the water near their anchored boat when an alcohol‑impaired operator sped toward them. The propeller struck 10‑year‑old Brooklyn Carroll and an adult family friend. Brooklyn tragically died from her injuries, and the other victim had a leg amputated due to the severity of their wounds.
North Carolina Wildlife Resources Commission (NCWRC) Law Enforcement Division Sgt. Claude Smith was an investigator on the case.
“This was a terrible situation, and these families will never fully recover from it,” said Smith. “Their lives have been permanently altered, as have the lives of those who witnessed the event, those who tried to help and the first responders who were confronted with an incredibly difficult scene.”
He added that the hardest part was knowing the loss didn’t have to happen.
“If individuals choose to drink, that is their decision, but they must ensure a sober, responsible adult is designated to operate the boat. And if someone chooses to operate a vessel while impaired, our officers will take every necessary action to prevent a tragedy like this from occurring again.”
The Carroll family posted signage around Shearon Harris Lake and other lakes about this tragic incident in hopes to prevent future alcohol-related boating deaths like the one they experienced.
“This is exactly why our agency and other law enforcement across the country participate in programs like Operation Dry Water,” said Lt. Anna Barbosa, NCWRC’s law enforcement public information officer. “We want people to have a fun and safe boating experience and not suffer from the consequences of someone operating a vessel under-the-influence, as the Carroll family has experienced. During busy summer holidays, we heighten our water patrol presence and share information to boaters about the dangers of impaired boating.”
Operation Dry Water is a national campaign developed through the National Association of State Boating Law Administrators (NASBLA) and the U.S. Coast Guard to reduce impaired boating incidents year-round. The campaign includes heightened enforcement on the water during the busy July 4 holiday.
An increased public presence on the water often leads to an increase in boating incidents and fatalities. Alcohol use is the leading known contributing factor in recreational boater deaths.
It is unlawful to operate a recreational vessel with an alcohol concentration of .08 or higher, or while being appreciably impaired by alcohol, drugs or other impairing substances. During last year’s campaign, NCWRC deployed 153 law-enforcement officers and removed 43 people from the water who were boating while impaired. So far this year, 62 boating incidents have occurred in North Carolina, nine were fatal. Last year in North Carolina, boating incidents resulted in 26 fatalities. NCWRC Law Enforcement reminds boaters to always operate vessels sober and for boaters to wear a life jacket when on or around the water.
Additional support for Operation Dry Water and The Governor’s Highway Safety Program’s Operation Firecracker Booze It & Lose It campaign includes North Carolina State Highway Patrol, the North Carolina Alcohol Law Enforcement and the North Carolina Forensic Tests for Alcohol Branch.
Learn more at NCWRC’s boating safety webpage.
