by Alton Wallace
See Photos Below Article.
We want to offer a special Thank You to
Officer Rick Miller and
Sgt. Jody Kelly with the Alabama Marine Police, and to
Officer Jason Whitlock and Cpl. Francis Fleming with the
Orange Beach Marine Police for their help with this story.
August 2, 2007 - Orange Beach, AL- A Panama
City, Fla. man was charged with boating under the influence Wednesday
night after the sportfishing boat he was operating in Perdido Pass
apparently strayed from the marked channel, hit submerged rocks and sunk
in about six feet of water, according to the Alabama Marine Police.
Marine Police Public Information Officer Rick
Miller said James Cooper, captain of the Tar Baby, a 61-foot
Weaver, was
arrested following the accident. Rather than going around the rocks and
entering the marked channel, Miller said, the Tar Baby apparently
attempted to enter the Pass from the east between the the jetties and
the beach. Also on board was a deckhand, whose name was not disclosed,
he said. No injuries were reported.
Francis Fleming, a corporal with the Orange Beach
Police Department's marine unit, said a loud collision was reported at
about 9:45 p.m. by someone staying at Grand Pointe Condominiums. A Coast
Guard response vessel was dispatched from Pensacola along with boats
from Alabama Marine Police and the Alabama Department of Natural
Resources.
Miller said Marine Police officers should complete
an investigation of the accident by early next week. At this point, it's
not clear if the captain or the deckhand was operating the boat at the
time of the accident, he said. "No one who has been drinking should
drive a boat because the water is very unforgiving. And if you are going
to drink, you've got to have a operator who is licensed to operate the
vessel," Miller said.
The Tar Baby, whose value Miller estimated at more
than $2.5 million, was in route to the Orange Beach Billfish Classic, a
fishing tournament that began Wednesday.
Click on images below to see full size pictures.
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