CLEVELAND — The Coast Guard assisted two people that were in a disabled and adrift boat near the entrance to the Saginaw River and also issued a federal ticket due to suspected boating under the influence late Friday night.
At around 11:15 p.m., a search-and-rescue coordinator at Coast Guard Sector Detroit was notified of a disabled boat with two people aboard. The SAR coordinator directed the launch of a rescue boatcrew from Coast Guard Station Saginaw River, in Essexville, Mich., aboard a 24-foot Special Purpose Craft-Shallow Water to assist the boaters. The rescue boatcrew towed the disabled boat to a boat ramp at a nearby Michigan Department of Natural Rescourse site.
After the disabled boat was safely moored, the rescue boatcrew, which is also a law enforcement team, conducted a routine post-SAR boarding. The boarding officer detected the scent of an alcoholic beverage on the boaters and administered four field sobriety tests, which the boater failed. The boater’s blood alcohol content was determined to be .117 percent. Much like on the road, the legal BAC is .08 percent. Federal ticket procedures were initiated by Coast Guard Sector Detroit.
“Boating under the influence is just as dangerous as driving under the influence, and just as illegal,” said Coast Guard Captain Jeff Ogden, commander, Sector Detroit. “Our intent is to prosecute every boating under the influence violation at either the local or the federal level. Drinking and boating puts entire families at risk. We won’t tolerate it and we hope that boaters won’t tolerate it either. If you suspect someone is operating a vessel under the influence, call 911 or the Coast Guard and help us keep the waters safe for those who work and recreate on the Great Lakes.”
Suspicious activity should be reported to the Sector Detroit Command Center at 313-568-9560.
24-foot Special Purpose Craft – Shallow Water (USCG File Photo )
