FWC Law Enforcement Weekly Report May 18, 2018 through May 24, 2018

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FWC

 

Division of Law Enforcement Weekly Report

May 18, 2018 through May 24, 2018

This report represents some events the FWC handled over the past week;

however, it does not include all actions taken by the Division of Law Enforcement.

Patrol, Protect, Preserve

NORTHWEST REGION

CASES

ESCAMBIA COUNTY

Officer Manning received information that an individual caught a large oversized red drum and put it in his vehicle at the Fort Pickens Pier. Officer Manning got a detailed vehicle description and contacted a ranger with the National Park Service. The ranger stopped the individual while he was trying to exit the park. Officer Manning arrived and the individual was found in possession of a 35-inch red drum. The legal slot size is from 18 to 27 inches. The individual was issued a notice to appear citation for the violation.

OKALOOSA COUNTY

Officers Pifer and Corbin were on vessel patrol conducting boating safety and resource protection in the Destin Pass. The officers saw a vessel returning from the Gulf of Mexico displaying fishing gear. During the boating safety stop, the officers determined the vessel was returning from a fishing trip. The fisheries inspection revealed three undersized gray triggerfish. The operator was issued a notice to appear citation.

Officer Corbin received a complaint of a derelict vessel in the Santa Rosa Sound near the complainant’s residence. The officer located a pontoon boat and documented that the boat does not have a means of propulsion and is substantially dismantled because it does not have a motor, helm (steering), or any seats. The vessel does not have a battery or any means to remove water (bilge pump). The vessel’s registration expired 6/30/2014 and the boat did not have the required navigational light present at night. Officer Corbin located the registered owner from the vessel’s registration. The owner was issued a notice to appear citation.

Officer Corbin was on land patrol conducting resource protection in the Fort Walton Beach area. The officer saw two individuals with fishing gear exit from their vehicle, enter an area posted as no trespassing, and begin to fish. At about 1:00 a.m., Officer Corbin saw one of the individuals catch a fish, return to the truck, and place it in the cooler. When the individual returned to the fishing spot, Officer Corbin approached their location to conduct a fisheries inspection. Both individuals did not a have a saltwater fishing license. Further, Officer Corbin saw open bottles of beer. Both individuals were under 21 years of age. They were cited for the violations and issued a notice to appear citation.

Officer Corbin was on vessel patrol conducting boating safety and resource protection in the Destin Pass. The officer saw a vessel returning from the Gulf of Mexico displaying rods and reels. Officer Corbin contacted the vessel’s operator and determined they were headed into the Destin Harbor to dock. The officer followed the vessel to the dock. Officer Corbin saw that the vessel displayed an expired Florida registration (January 2017). During the boating safety inspection, the officer determined that the operator was not the owner listed on the registration. The operator provided a bill of sale showing he purchased the vessel in 2015. The operator was cited and issued a notice to appear citation for failure to transfer title within 30 days from purchase.

Officer Corbin was on land patrol conducting resource protection at the Destin Bridge. The officer saw two individuals walking away from underneath the bridge with rods and reels and a cooler. Further, the officer saw what appeared to be a red drum tail sticking out of the cooler. The inspection of the cooler revealed an oversized red drum. Officer Corbin issued a citation for the violation.

Officers Pifer and Corbin were on vessel patrol conducting boating safety and resource protection in the Destin Pass. The officers saw a vessel returning from the Gulf of Mexico displaying rods and reels. During the safety inspection, the officers determined the operator purchased the vessel on 3/31/2018. The operator/owner failed to transfer the vessel’s title within 30 days. The owner was cited and issued a notice to appear citation.

Officer Jarvis received a call from U.S. Coast Guard (USCG) about a 911 call they received regarding a boat that ran soft aground on the beach just west of the West Jetties near the Destin Pass. The caller said that the operator who ran the vessel aground was highly intoxicated. Officer Maltais responded with the USCG by boat and Officer Jarvis responded by land through the Eglin Beach Park. Contact was made with the operator and passenger. Both were removed safely from the vessel and transported to USCG Station Destin. Officer Jarvis’ initial contact with the operator indicated signs of impairment. The operator performed field sobriety tasks which showed indicators of impairment. The operator was arrested for BUI. The operator provided a breath sample resulting in a 0.220 and 0.230. The subject was transported to the Okaloosa County Jail.

SEARCH AND RESCUE

SANTA ROSA COUNTY

Officer Ramos, along with U.S. Coast Guard and a Pensacola Fire Rescue vessel, responded to a single vessel boating accident in Pensacola Bay. A family of four attempted to cross the rough bay in a small 14-foot boat when a large wave swamped the boat, sinking it. The two adults, four-year old, and nine-month old entered the extremely choppy water. Approximately 25 minutes later, a Good Samaritan saw the distressed swimmers and maneuvered his catamaran to rescue the family. He, along with guests onboard, retrieved the four persons from the water. The two children were wearing Personal Flotation Devices (PFD’s), the 9-month-old was not breathing when taken out of the water. The Good Samaritan administered CPR on the infant and placed a distress call on his marine radio. A recovery vessel assisted by getting the distressed swimmers from the catamaran to a nearby dock where several EMS crews were standing by. The mother and baby were admitted to the hospital and released a few hours later.

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