Man gets $5K ticket for jumping off charter fishing boat on a dare
An unidentified man got a $5,000 ticket from the U.S. Coast Guard after jumping off a charter fishing vessel into California waters last week on a dare.
Although the boat’s crew swiftly rescued the man and he was not injured, the Coast Guard said his action was illegal under 46 U.S. Code § 2302, which prohibits interfering with the safe operation of a vessel, according to the Associated Press and CBS SF Bay Area. The maximum fine for the offense is $30,000.
“Commercial passenger vessel crews are responsible for the safety of all passengers aboard their vessels, and in this case, their attention was diverted away from the safe operation of the vessel when they were forced to retrieve the jumper from the water,” the Coast Guard said in a written statement. “Jumpers are at risk because they could get sucked into the vessel’s propellers or drown from the effects of cold water shock, swimming failure and hypothermia.”
See also:
ABAJournal.com: “Negligent hiker injured on trail must pay $9.2K rescue bill, top state court rules”
