Posted: Sat, 10 Jul 2010 03:19 PM - 13,166 Readers
By: Amy Peirce
everal law enforcement agencies joined forces in patrolling in and around Lake Travis during the highly anticipated AquaPalooza boating event.
LCRA, the Travis County Sheriff’s Office and the Texas Parks and Wildlife Department are maintaining a presence at Lake Travis to ensure the safety of the estimated 30,000 in attendance.
The Texas Parks and Wildlife Department (TPWD) has said that they alone have 68 Game Wardens in 20 boats on the lake.
The beefed up lake patrol has not prevented some party-goers from stepping outside the law.
Officers found offenders both in the water and on land. On day two of the event LCRA reported four arrests made at AquaPalooza. Three were arrested for public intoxication and one for possession of a controlled substance.
Nearly a dozen arrests were made on Friday in the area of the AquaPalooza festivities.
According to TPWD, arrests were made for two DWI’s, one public intoxication, two resisting arrest, one for outstanding warrant, one for possession of a controlled substance and four for boating while intoxicated.
Officials say while the Lake patrols are a daily event, they are trying to gain voluntary compliance with all boating laws, especially those that relate to BWI, during such a busy boating period on the water. Law enforcement agencies want are hoping the boaters will be reminded of the dangers of drinking and driving on the water.
The four individuals arrested for a BWI on Friday are Blake Edward Lamb, 22, Drayton Jevas, 29, Chad Stewart, 28 and Robert Alan Helton, 53. Officials made contact with three of the four individuals initially for boating in a no wake zone.
Blake Edward Lamb had a second charge in addition to boating while intoxicated. Lamb was operating a jet ski in a reckless manner on Friday when a TWPD Game Warden observed him driving, with a female passenger, in a no wake zone on the lake.
The Game Warden attempted to conduct a stop on the water and activated his emergency lights but the suspect drove away. The warden caught up with Lamb after the female passenger fell off, which slowed him down.
Once contact was made, the Game Warden smelled the odor of an alcoholic beverage on the suspect’s breath. The suspect was brought to a site on land and was given a field sobriety test which he failed. After determining Lamb was intoxicated he became verbally aggressive towards the Game Warden. The warden attempted to escort the suspect to a TPWD command post but Lamb became physically aggressive and pulled away. At this point the warden attempted to handcuff him and he violently moved side to side to avoid it. Eventually Lamb was handcuffed with the combined efforts of four Game Wardens.
According to the arrest affidavit, Lamb agreed to an intoxilyzer test. His levels were tested twice over a short period of time and resulted in levels of .130 and a .111.
Drayton Jevas was stopped on Lake Travis when a TPWD officer observed him operate a personal watercraft in a no wake zone. A field sobriety test was conducted which Jevas failed. The officer said that he was not in possession of alcohol or drugs at the time. The arrest affidavit notes that Jevas has two prior DWI convictions, one in 2004 and the other in 2003.
Chad Stewart was stopped by a TPWD officer after they observed him operating a jet ski in a no wake zone of Lake Travis near mile marker 22. Stewart was given a field sobriety test which he failed. The arrest affidavit notes that while trying to say the ABC’s the suspect could not get past H after two attempts.
A TPWD officer stopped Robert Alan Helton, 53, who was operating a vessel on Lake Travis to conduct a routine water safety inspection. The officer noticed a strong odor of an alcoholic beverage. A field sobriety test was conducted which Helton failed.
All attendees of AquaPalooza are expected to abide by all of the rules on both land and water to maintain a safe environment so that everyone can enjoy the unique party on Lake Travis.
Four persons were transported to a hospital for non-life threatening injuries on Saturday. Several minor injuries and medical problems were treated at the scene. No major incidents occurred throughout the second day of the event according to LCRA. EMS treated four persons on the scene Friday.
The thousands who filled Lake Travis began to trickle out at dusk on Saturday. The cleanup process has already begun and will continue through Sunday.
