Colorado Parks and Wildlife works to prevent BUI at Chatfield Reservoir over 4th of July weekend

On the busiest boating weekend in the state, Colorado Parks and Wildlife was at Chatfield Reservoir, ensuring everyone stayed safe by conducting a BUI checkpoint.

"Alcohol is one of the leading contributing factors to boating incidents across the nation, including here in Colorado," said Brian Phillips, the statewide boating education safety coordinator for CPW.

"We want to see the boat safe out there. That's the main thing," said Phillips. "If we're not boating safely, we're not having fun. And that's where accidents can happen out there. And we just want everybody to be safe."

BUI, or boating under the influence, is a big problem that can lead to injury and death, but CPW says most people don't think about it that way.

"People are very well aware, especially on the roads when you're driving your vehicle, how deadly it can be to drink and drive and be impaired. But usually when you get on the water, we're out there having fun, relaxing, you know, enjoying the coolness of being on the lake. And people just don't relate it to the same thing," said Phillips.

That's why rangers saturated the reservoir Saturday, randomly checking boats as they exited the water. Not only for excessive alcohol use, but also to make sure that fishermen had the correct permits and boats had fire extinguishers on board and life vests. Because alcohol or not, a life vest is the number one tool that can save a life in an emergency.

An adult man's body was recovered from Chatfield Reservoir on Friday after he jumped into the water after an inflatable tube carrying three children overturned. Officials say he was an experienced swimmer and was not wearing a life jacket when he entered the water. 

"Anytime you get any type of doubt, put that life jacket on. You can always take it off again once the situation calms down. But if you don't have that life jacket with you, it's not going to save your life," said Phillips.