(HALIBURTON, ON) – On August 22, 2015 shortly after 6:00 p.m. officers from the Haliburton Highlands detachment of the Ontario Provincial Police (OPP) charged a male with Operating a vessel with over 80mg of alcohol in 100ml of blood after they had stopped a vessel to conduct an equipment check on Esson Lake in the Township of Highlands East.
Charged is 50 year old Kent PARR from Whitby, ON. The accused was also served an automatic 90 day driver’s license suspension and he is scheduled to appear in the Ontario Court of Justice in Minden on October 7, 2015.
Operating a boat in Ontario while impaired by alcohol or drugs comes with the same consequences as driving a vehicle while impaired. This means that impaired boat operators not only face criminal charges but will also have their driving privileges for motor vehicles immediately suspended.
Over and above its focus on alcohol and drug impaired boaters and other reckless behaviour on the water, OPP marine members promote safety through equipment checks. They encourage the wearing of lifejackets – particularly for paddlers and small craft operators, as many fatal boating incidents over the years have involved small motorized vessels as well as canoes and kayaks.