FWC Law Enforcement Report
From FWCThis report represents some events the FWC handled July 21-17 in the Northwest region. (There were no cases reported for Wakulla County.)
BAY COUNTY
• Officers D. Palmer and T. Basford were on patrol near the Hathaway Bridge and conducted a vessel inspection on a personal watercraft. They determined the owner of the PWC was renting the vessel to a family from out of state without any insurance. He also was not displaying the required boating safety information placard for his business. The owner of the livery was issued the appropriate citations.
• Officer M. Gore was dispatched to St. Andrews State Park regarding a person who was injured falling into the rocks on the jetties. Upon arriving on scene, Officer Gore placed the patrol vessel as near the patient as possible while emergency medical services removed her from the rocks and loaded her in the vessel. Officer Gore transported the patient to the boat ramp where the patient was transported to the hospital to treat a laceration on her leg.
• Officers M. Gore and J. Coker were dispatched to multiple subjects in distress on Econfina Creek. The subjects were tubing down the creek. The complaint stated their tubes popped and they had no other means of getting down the creek. The officers launched a patrol vessel and went to retrieve the subjects. The Bay County Sheriff’s Office and Bay County Department of Emergency Services also launched a vessel and responded as well. The officers found four adults and five juveniles stranded on the creek. All subjects were unharmed and transported back to the boat ramp.
BAY COUNTY
• Officer Gerber was on patrol when he observed a vessel with no navigation lights operating at night. Officer Gerber stopped the vessel to address the violation. During the inspection, a device capable of producing an electrical current sufficient to stun or shock freshwater fish was discovered on board the vessel. The operator admitted the device was used for shocking catfish. The operator of the vessel was issued the proper citations for the violation.