PORTLAND, Maine — A boat was stopped and its operator was arrested for operating under the influence by the U.S. Coast Guard in Portland Harbor on Wednesday.
A Coast Guard crew from South Portland spotted the 21-foot boat operating at excessive speeds while on routine patrol, according to a statement from the U.S. Coast Guard’s 1st District.
Upon boarding the boat, a strong odor of alcohol was detected, the statement said, and the vessel was escorted to the pier at Portland Yacht Services.
Portland police arrived and conducted sobriety tests on the operator, whose name was not disclosed, determined he was intoxicated and arrested him. The other individual on board, who was deemed sober, made plans to pilot the vessel to its destination in Long Island, New York.
“Operating under the influence is illegal and extremely dangerous,” Kenneth Stuart, command duty officer at Sector Northern New England, said. “Combine that with excessive speed and no lights, and your chances of disaster increase tenfold.”
