PANAMA CITY — Memorial Day weekend brought a sobering experience for more than a dozen boaters across northwest Florida.

According to a Thursday press release from the Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission, the organization’s northwest region arrested 15 people over the holiday weekend for operating a boat under the influence.

Of the arrests, five were in Panama City. There also were nine others in Pensacola and one in Tallahassee.

“Partnering with other law enforcement agencies, FWC officers were proactive in getting boating safety messaging out to the public prior to the holiday,” the release reads. “They continued educating the public while remaining on the lookout for reckless or impaired drivers during the popular boating weekend.”

The release notes that FWC officers are responsible for patrolling approximately 34 million acres of land, 13,200 square miles of offshore waters and more than 8,400 miles of coastline.

The FWC Northwest Region includes 16 counties. According to the organization’s website, they are: Bay, Calhoun, Escambia, Franklin, Gadsden, Gulf, Holmes, Jackson, Jefferson, Leon, Liberty, Okaloosa, Santa Rosa, Wakulla, Walton, Washington.

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Though FWC officials said in the release that they encourage boaters to enjoy their time on the water, they also reminded them that it is important to always designate a sober captain.

“We know that a sober vessel operator is a safer vessel operator,” Maj. Robby Creech, northwest regional commander for FWC, said in the release. “Our officers respond to too many accidents that could have been avoided if the operator had just designated a driver who was not impaired. Removing dangerous individuals from our waterways is a priority for us.”

To report an anonymous tip about dangerous boating activity, text “FWC,” the location of the incident and any important information on the situation to 847411.

This article originally appeared on The News Herald: FWC arrests 15 people over Memorial Day in NWF for operating BUI