Victoria, BC – VicPD officers are reminding the public that operating a boat while impaired by drugs or alcohol is both unsafe and illegal.
On Wednesday, May 29th, Patrol officers were called to the Dockside Green neighbourhood dock to meet a boat that was tying up. Just after 11 a.m. a citizen called 911 after becoming concerned when the boat became stranded on a sandbar. The boat had remained stranded there for a considerable amount of time as the operator struggled to resolve the issue. The boat operator was eventually able to remove the vessel from the sandbar and brought the boat to the dock. The caller indicated observing signs that the operator of the boat was impaired.
Officers met the boat operator at the dock and also noted immediate signs that the operator was impaired by drugs. Officers took the man into custody and utilized an officer trained in drug recognition to confirm that the man was allegedly impaired. He was transported to cells, where he was held and then released on a promise to appear along with conditions including a prohibition on operation of his boat for a 24 hour period.
The man will appear in court at a later date.
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