EnCon Police arrest New Milford man in first BUI of the season. Connecticut Department of Environmental Protection (DEP) Environmental Conservation (EnCon) Police made their first DUI arrest of the year on Candlewood Lake last weekend, after a jetskier was stopped for not wearing a life vest while riding on the lake.
EnCon Police charged 38-year-old Luke J. Lesnewski, of New Milford, with operating a personal watercraft (PWC) while under the influence of alcohol and/or drugs on Friday, June 10, in the area of Lynn Deming Town Park, New Milford.
The arrest was the result of a Boating Enforcement Patrol conducted by EnCon Police on Candlewood Lake focused on boating under the influence and the use of proper safety equipment.
Lesnewski was stopped after EnCon Police observed that he was not wearing a personal flotation device (PFD), which is required by state law while operating PWCs.
According to the DEP, EnCon officers suspected that Lesnewski had been drinking when they requested his vessel registration and certificate of operation. Based on these circumstances, Lesnewski was taken into custody and transported to the New Milford Police Department.
Lesnewski was charged with insufficient PFDs, failure to carry a certificate of PWC operation, failure to carry vessel registration and illegal operation of a PWC while under the influence of alcohol or drugs. He was released on a written promise to appear in Bantam Superior Court on June 21.
The DEP announced this week that EnCon Police will be participating in Operation Dry Water the weekend of June 24-26 and will be on Connecticut’s lakes and rivers looking for boaters with a blood alcohol concentration (BAC) above .08 percent.
“We intend to stop intoxicated boaters and to educate as many boaters as possible about the hazards of boating while under the influence (BUI),” EnCon Police spokesman officer Holly Bernier said.
BUI is a primary contributing factor in nearly one in five boating fatalities nationwide, the DEP reports, including the July 2008 incident on Candlewood Lake that claimed two lives and left two critically injured.
The driver of the watercraft in that incident registered a .19 BAC.
That accident sparked new legislation strengthening the tools law enforcement have available to charge drunken boaters and bringing the penalties more in line with drunk driving, including fines, jail and loss of boating privileges.
Boaters found operating with a BAC of .08 percent or higher will find their voyage terminated and may have their vessel impounded, according to the DEP.
“There will be arrests this weekend and some boaters will face the consequences of boating under the influence,” Bernier said. “We want recreational boaters to enjoy themselves, but there will be zero tolerance for BUI.”
Candlewood Lake Authority (CLA) patrol officers will be out in force for the summer by the July 4th holiday, according to CLA Executive Director Larry Marsicano, including post-certification officers who are authorized to make custodial arrests.
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