Two people have been charged after allegedly operating a stolen boat while under the influence on Lake Erie.
The Essex County OPP Marine Unit received a report of a possible impaired boater on Monday, Aug. 14 at around 10:08 a.m. between Colchester and Amherstburg.
Police say marine unit members saw a boat matching the description and tried to contact the operator. There were two people on the vessel and it made it to land.
Essex OPP tried to help find the boat occupants while on land but were unsuccessful.
Police continued their investigation and found the boat had been stolen. The two occupants were identified.
Officers charged a 35-year-old of Essex with:
- Possession Property Obtained by Crime Under $5,000
- Operating non-human-powered pleasure craft without prescribed additional personal life-saving appliances on board
- Permitting person to operate pleasure craft without copy of licence on board
- Operating licensed pleasure craft on which licence number not marked and maintained in the specified form and manner
- Person who operates or permits another person to operate a vessel failing to ensure that it is marked with hull serial number
- Operate a pleasure craft without prescribed competency
The second person on board, a 31-year-old Essex resident, has also been charged with Possession of Property Obtained by Crime Under $5,000.
The accused are scheduled to appear in the Ontario Court of Justice in Windsor at a later date.
