Admiralty & Maritime Law

Man swims from Canada to Detroit, is found in water on way home and cited for public intoxication

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Fueled by eight beers, a Canadian man admits, he didn’t use the best judgment when he swam from Windsor to Detroit on Monday night.

But, since John Morillo has to face the music anyway, he wants it on the record that he did make it all the way to the U.S. before being found in the Detroit River, swimming back home, the Windsor Star reports.

Authorities from both countries responded when a friend who could no longer see Morillo called for help. The 47-year-old was found a little before 1 a.m. Tuesday by the U.S. Coast Guard, cited for public intoxication and briefly jailed.

He says he has also been told by the Windsor harbor master he likely will be charged for swimming in a public shipping channel, and, if convicted, could be fined as much as $25,000.

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