Judge Sentences Couple to Distribute Water Safety Message from Festival’s Wading Pool
An Ohio judge known for his creative sentences has devised a new one for a couple swept away in the Grand River during a severe flood after boarding a raft without life preservers.
Judge Michael Ciccconetti of Painesville Municipal Court gave Grace Nash and Bruce Crawford a choice, report the News-Herald, Newsnet5.com and WKYC.com. They could go to jail or they could stand in a wading pool at a festival, clad in bathing suits and flotation devices, and hand out water safety brochures.
The couple is expected to be at the festival on Saturday, the stories say. Nash and Crawford pleaded guilty to a misdemeanor charge of misconduct during an emergency. Their conduct spurred a search involving two helicopters and nine police and fire departments, the News-Herald reports. After the couple safely got to land, they lied when a rescuer asked if they were the people on the raft, police said.
The couple will also have to apologize to everyone involved in the rescue and perform 100 hours of community service, according to the News-Herald.
