Drinking and Sailing Don't Mix

Police Chase Impaired Boater

A 54 year sail boat operator is facing multiple criminal charges, including impaired operation of a vessel, following a police pursuit on the water ending with the RCMP boarding his vessel.

At approximately 9pm on Canada Day Nanaimo RCMP received a report from citizens at the Newcastle Marina, located off of Stewart Ave, of a boater who appeared to be impaired by alcohol while operating a 40 ft sail boat. The caller told police the operator had collided with other vessels at the marina. Police arrived on scene located the sailboat and operator and demanded he stop and exit his boat. He refused then proceeded to evade police by ramming another boat, hitting two others then headed for open waters. At one point as police attempted to stop him from leaving the marina, he swung a metal pole at the police officers and was shouting profanities and challenges at them.

The sailboat left the marina north bound under gas power, sailing erratically along the waterway past Newcastle Island. Several quick thinking RCMP members boarded a private citizens boat and with his assistance followed the sail boat toward Jessie Island. Additional RCMP members were brought to the scene by an Auxiliary Coast Guard zodiac and soon caught up with the sailboat. The officers gained entry onto the vessel but not without a struggle. The suspect was eventually taken into custody, transferred over to the Coast Guard vessel and transported back to the Nanaimo RCMP Detachment. His boat was towed to shore with the assistance of the Nanaimo Search and damage to the vessels struck is estimated to be in the range of $4000 dollars. The male was held in custody over night and later released when sober the next morning on a Promise to Appear for Provincial court on July 27 for the following charges:
 

• Impaired boating and Refusing to Provide a Breath Sample
• Dangerous Operation of a Vessel
• Assault a Police Officer, Resist arrest
• Possession of a Weapon for a Dangerous Purpose
• Fail to Stop at the Scene of an Accident

“This incident would not have come to a successful conclusion without the assistance and cooperation of a number of agencies, including private citizens. The Nanaimo RCMP would like to thank everyone involved which allowed our members to remove this individual from our waters before some one was injured and more boats were damaged” said Constable Gary O’Brien, media spokesperson for the Nanaimo RCMP.

It is also appropriate at this time to remind the boating public that the same laws for drinking and driving apply while operating a vessel. To find out more about the rules and regulations for boating in Canadian waters, please go to Transport Canada’s web site at www.tc.tgc.ca