Game wardens arrest 4 for drunk boating

BY VALERIE REDDELL
Editor
polknews@gmail.com

LIVINGSTON — It was anything but a quiet weekend on Lake Livingston for Texas Parks and Wildlife Game Wardens with four arrests for boating while intoxicated. Ryan Hall, one of three game wardens assigned to Polk County, said the four arrests that will be prosecuted through Polk County was high for a holiday weekend on Lake Livingston. “Usually everyone expects us to be out there for the holiday weekend. We will have some arrests, but usually less than other summer weekends,” Hall said. The previous weekend two people were booked into the Polk County jail by game wardens for boating while intoxicated — which matches last year’s total for the Memorial Day weekend. Four others were arrested for driving while intoxicated during the long weekend, according to jail records. “The last few weekends we’ve been arresting one or two a weekend. Hall said the arrests typically follow a routine water safety check. “We stop every boat to check life jackets,” Hall said. “Everyone has had the experience when they’re talking to a person and they known that person is drunk, we just have a few more tools. But everyone recognizes when a person is intoxicated either because of something they see, smell or hear. It’s the same thing on the lake. Onshore, extra officers were patrolling as part of the statewide grant program, Selective Traffic Enforcement Program (STEP) that puts extra emphasis on intercepting drunk drivers, seat belt violations and speeders. Officers will continue the crackdown on those targeted offense through June 3. Drivers who fail to maintain a single marked lane, have defective head lights, tail lights or license plate lights or fail to come to a complete stop at stop signs. Officers, whether they are patrolling on the water or the highway, may then conduct a field sobriety test and can compel the driver or boater to supply a breath or blood sample to determine if they are under the influence of drugs or alcohol. Two boating incidents are also under investigation by the San Jacinto County Sheriff’s Office. A boater apparently suffered a heart attack while sailboating Friday afternoon. He was brought to shore by Onalaska VFD and later died.