Man Arrested For Boating Under The Influence After Boat Sinks Near Boardwalk

ST. CROIX — A man was arrested on Thursday for boating under the influence after his boat sank near the Christiansted boardwalk, and after he failed a field sobriety test, V.I.P.D. Public Information Officer Glen Dratte announced Friday.

According to Mr. Dratee, on Thursday at approximately 2:40 p.m., the Police Marine Unit and the Department of Planning and Natural Resources (D.P.N.R.) Marine Enforcement were dispatched to investigate a boating accident at the boardwalk in Christiansted. Upon arrival, a boat bearing registration VI-2149-CB was found partially submerged in the harbor, still tied to the dock.

Investigation revealed that John Foy, boat captain and registered owner of the vessel, was out at sea on a fishing charter with 3 tourists, including a minor. During the sea voyage, Mr. Foy noticed that the boat was taking in water and immediately returned to port.

The passengers reported that Mr. Foy endangered their lives by not providing any lifesaving equipment, and did not request help from other boaters while returning to Christiansted harbor. According to the passengers, Mr. Foy was mostly concerned about retrieving his fishing equipment; leaving the passengers to fetch their own life jackets. The passengers suspected that Mr. Foy was under the influence of alcohol during the voyage.

None of the tourists reported any injuries at the time of investigation. According to the V.I.P.D., Mr. Foy was consuming alcohol at the time of the investigation due to suspicion of B.U.I., in an attempt to say that he only became drunk following the boating incident.

D.P.N.R.’s enforcement arm requested assistance from the Traffic Investigation Bureau to conduct a field sobriety test, which Mr. Foy failed. He was then placed under arrest by D.P.N.R. enforcement officers, and a breathalyzer test was administered to Mr. Foy, which resulted in a showing of a .0118 of blood alcohol content.

Mr. Foy was booked and posted bail, and the case is pending an advise-of-rights hearing.

Feature Image: D.P.N.R. police arrest John Foy. (Courtesy V.I.P.D.)