Fourth of July BUI arrests up on Lake Minnetonka; some skippers stay sober

At least 8 boaters have been arrested for boating under the influence (BUI) during the Fourth of July holiday this weekend on Lake Minnetonka.

The Hennepin County Sheriff’s Office said that includes five people in a matter of a day, and the total reflects only the first two days of this year’s Operation Dry Water on the lake. Patrols were back out on the Fourth and will be on Monday too.

In those first two days, the sheriff’s office says no one was hurt in any of the incidents. It added in a Tweet on Sunday morning, “If you are caught drinking while boating, you will be arrested and taken to jail.”

Already this weekend there have been 8 BUI arrests on Lake Minnetonka, including 5 in a 24 hour period. Fortunately, all were stopped before anyone was hurt. Please don’t drink and boat. If you are caught drinking while boating, you will be arrested and taken to jail. pic.twitter.com/Rxh3RSWZhE

— Hennepin Sheriff (@HennepinSheriff) July 4, 2021

The 8 BUIs are two more than the BUI arrests during the 2020 Fourth of July holiday weekend — there were zero in 2019.

“People have been pretty responsible,” John Lai, of St. Louis Park, said as he waited to be picked up by friends on Lake Minnetonka.

The Fourth marked Lai’s third day in a row on the water. As a non-drinker, he has become a sober skipper for his friends.

“I end up driving the boat at the end of the night,” Lai said. “I can drive [just] about any boat these days because I don’t drink,” he added with a smile.