Extra Patrols Added To Lake Minnetonka For July Fourth Weekend
MINNETONKA, Minn. (WCCO) -- The Fourth of July is one of the busiest boating weekends across Minnesota and the beautiful weather will bring out even larger crowds.
Law enforcement are adding extra patrols especially around one area of Lake Minnetonka.
"It was pretty crazy, there was a lot of cops around," said Jason Colby, a boater on Lake Minnetonka.
Over the holiday, law enforcement have their eyes on Big Island, a popular spot for boaters to drop anchor and tie up for hours.
"On the Fourth of July weekend, the common thing is the alcohol," said Lt. Kent Vnuk of the Hennepin County Sheriff's Office Water Patrol. "They kind of forget how much they've had to drink and that seems where we run into problems, where have a lot of our injures and medicals."
This year, help can arrive more quickly. Buoys marking the channels around the island are now colored.
"In the past, it's been the whole Big Island area. Now, we just ask them what buoy are they closest to and that dramatically narrows down the location of where they're at," Vnuk said.
The holiday weekend will also bring extra law enforcement on the water. Normally, the Hennepin County Sheriff's Office has four patrols during summer weekends, on the Independence Day weekend their numbers will double. There will also be extra DNR and fire boats on the water.
"Every day we'll have 11 enforcement boats. Eight from the sheriff's office, three from the DNR," Vnuk said. "It's a long weekend for us but we like the challenge and like being out here and keeping people safe."
Law enforcement are also looking for underage drinkers on the water. A new undercover drinking enforcement detail has led to 34 citations and five BWI arrests for minors.
