Tweed Heads: Man charged after alleged high range Jack Evans Boat Harbour crash
A man will face court after he allegedly got loaded on booze at nearly five times the legal blood alcohol limit before crashing a 14-metre houseboat into a rock wall at a busy harbour on the Qld-NSW border.
A man will face court after he allegedly got loaded on booze at nearly five times the legal blood alcohol limit before crashing a 14-metre houseboat into a rock wall at a busy harbour on the Queensland-New South Wales border.
Emergency services were called to the Tweed River at Jack Evans Boat Harbour just before 1.30pm on Sunday after the vessel had run aground by slamming into the river’s northern break wall, a NSW Police spokesman said in a statement.
Tweed Heads Marine Area Command rescued a 45-year-old man at the scene before attaching several tow lines to the boat and successfully pulling it off the rocks.
He was arrested and taken to Tweed Heads Police Station where he was subjected to a breath analysis and returned an alleged reading of 0.244 - nearly five times the legal limit.
He was charged with operating a recreational vessel negligently and operating a vessel with a high range PCA.
Marine Area Commander Acting Superintendent Siobhan Munro said boat users often overlook marine safety issues while they are on the water.
“Driving a boat while under the influence of alcohol or drugs is a crime just like on our roads,” Acting Supt Munro said.
“Dangerous boat driving may harm others and as we have already seen this summer lives can be lost.
“Our message is clear. Do not drink alcohol when you drive a boat. The Marine Area Command regularly patrol all the States waterways conducting random drug and alcohol testing and anyone operating a vessel under the influence or in a dangerous manner will be brought before the court.”
The 45-year-old man was issued a court attendance notice to appear at Tweed Heads Local Court on January 27.
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Originally published as Tweed Heads: Man charged after alleged high range Jack Evans Boat Harbour crash
