PORTLAND, Ore. (KOIN) — A boater was fined Thursday by the U.S. Coast Guard for crossing a restricted bar in Garibaldi’s Tillamook Bay in March.
At around 11:30 a.m. on March 31, a 23ft boat with three people on board approached the Tillamook Bar, which is restricted to vessels under 35ft. Members of the Coast Guard radioed the boaters who admitted to knowing about the bass restriction but continued.
On approaching the bar, the boat’s engines failed between the piers and had to be towed by a rescue team to safety.
“Bar restrictions save lives,” said Lt. Cmdr. Colin Fogarty, Chief of Law Enforcement at the Columbia River Coast Guard Sector. “Helper assessments are conducted by highly trained surfers who use years of experience and training to determine if ships can safely navigate dangerous waters. When a boater violates a bar restriction, he not only puts his own life at risk, but also that of his passengers and ultimately members of the Coast Guard, if we are to rescue them.
The boater was fined $3,500 for breaching the restricted bar and negligent operations.
“If a boater violates the restriction, the Coast Guard will seek to hold the boater accountable through fines or a criminal reference. A $3,500 fine is a lot of money to pay for the salmon, but it could have cost this boater and his three passengers their lives,” Fogarty said.
