Coeur d’Alene, ID – Over this last weekend the Kootenai County Sheriff’s Office conducted another emphasis patrol on the Spokane River. During this last weekend there were a minimum of two teams dedicated to the Spokane River. Their focus again was speed violations, wake zone violations, noise and other unsafe boating activity.
As a result of these patrols there were 121 boat inspections completed. We issued 56 citations for violations ranging from Wake Zone Violations, Speed, Overloading, No Lifejackets, Negligent Operations, Boating in a restricted area and No Navigations lights. There were also 4 arrests for Boating Under the Influence and one injury boat crash involving a wakeboard.
The Kootenai County Sheriff’s Office will be conducting some of these same emphasis patrols throughout the remainder of the boating seasons on the Spokane River. If anyone has any questions about boating laws, regulations or would like to sign up for a free boating safety class please contact the Recreation Safety Section at 208-446-1362.
Sheriff Ben Wolfinger
By: Lt. Ryan Higgins