| Office of Public Affairs U.S. Coast Guard Thirteenth District |
|
| Press Release | Date: August 9, 2005 |
OREGON MAN CITED FOR BOATING WHILE INTOXICATED SEATTLE - The Coast Guard ended the voyage of an intoxicated man on a recreational boat Monday afternoon near Brookings, Ore., after he was seen throwing a bag of empty beer cans into the Chetco River. A Coast Guard boarding team from Station Chetco River stopped the 18-foot recreational boat Bald Eagle after receiving a phone call reporting a man had thrown garbage from the vessel into the water near Macklyn Cove, Ore. A Coast Guard boarding team boarded the vessel and suspected the operator and passenger were intoxicated. The vessel was taken in tow by the Coast Guard and moored at Brookings Harbor. A Curry County Sheriff's Officer conducted a field sobriety test on the operator and found he had a blood alcohol content of 0.13, which is nearly twice the legal limit to be presumed under the influence of alcohol. The Coast Guard team completed a boarding report and then turned custody of the master over to the Curry County Sheriff's. The vessel was released to a friend of the operator. The master was cited by the Curry County Sheriff's Office for operating a vessel while intoxicated. Alcohol affects judgment, vision, balance and coordination. These impairments increase the likelihood of accidents afloat – for both passengers and boat operators. U.S. Coast Guard data shows that in boating deaths involving alcohol use, over half the victims capsized their boats or fell overboard. Alcohol is even more hazardous on the water than on land. The marine environment – motion, vibration, engine noise, sun, wind and spray – accelerates a drinker's impairment. These stresses cause fatigue that makes a boat operator's coordination, judgment and reaction time decline even faster when using alcohol. Alcohol can also be more dangerous to boaters because boat operators are often less experienced and less confident on the water than during other activities. Recreational boaters don't have the benefit of experiencing daily boat operation. In fact, boaters average only 110 hours on the water per year. For more information on recreational boating safety or to speak with a recreational boating specialist contact the Thirteenth Coast Guard District public affairs office at 206-220-7237. ### The U.S. Coast Guard is a military, maritime, multi-mission service within the |
printer friendly