BALTIMORE, MD—Maryland Natural Resources Police (NRP) officers are being recognized for their hard work and dedication to keeping the state’s waterways safe.

The DNR has announced that two of its officers are facing national recognition for their efforts to enforce impaired boating laws this past summer.

Officer First Class Coby Blum (pictured above left) and Officer First Class Mitchell Muise (pictured above right) are both nominated for the National Association of State Boating Law Administrators Annual Conference, which is scheduled to take place in New Orleans in September.

The DNR said that during the July 4 weekend, Blum and Muise made a total of 9 Operating While Under the Influence of Alcohol (OUI) arrests and responded to 9 boating accidents.

Blum is being nominated for Officer of the Year, while Muise is being nominated for Regional Law Enforcement Award.

The DNR said that alcohol use is the leading contributing factor in fatal boating accidents, and that 30% of the boating fatalities that have occurred in Maryland between 2019 and 2023 have been linked to alcohol.

The mission of Operation Dry Water is to raise awareness about the dangers of boating under the influence.

This article was written with the assistance of AI and reviewed by a human editor.

Photo: Officer First Class Coby Blum (left) and Officer First Class Mitchell Muise (right). Photo via MDNRP.