Man cited for sinking boat in Moses Lake
The owner and operator of the boat capsized in Moses Lake Saturday was allegedly drinking at the time.
MOSES LAKE - The operator of a boat that capsized in Moses Lake was found to be drinking at the time of the incident, but was later found to be under the legal limit for alcohol during a breath test.
Capt. Chris Anderson, with the state Fish and Wildlife Police, Moses Lake police officers and Grant County Sheriff's deputies recently responded to a nighttime call for a small fishing boat capsized near the Alder Fill in Moses Lake.
Two men on the boat were able to make it to shore and were transported by family members to Samaritan Hospital in Moses Lake for hypothermia, according to information released Wednesday.
The vessel was seen floating nearby, filled with water and law enforcement was able to retrieve the boat and discovered no personal flotation devices on board.
The owner and operator of the boat was contacted at his home and officers determined he allegedly had been drinking while driving the boat. The owner's name was not released.
According to Anderson, a breath test showed the owner under the legal threshold for boating under the influence.
Anderson recommend the owner be charged with negligent operation, no operator's license, no navigation lights and no personal flotation devices on board.
The owner was originally going to be charged with boating under the influence, but the citation was changed to negligent operation because of the breath test results.