Captain Bill Sadler reiterated the dangers of taking to the sea while drunk, after a Guernsey lifeboat crew had to rescue two people who tried to drive their speedboat back to Jersey at night and became lost.
A Guernsey Coastguard spokesperson said the incident was partly caused by the crew taking their vessel to sea in the dark, after consuming alcohol throughout the day.
Mr Sadler said: ‘The two don’t mix – being at sea you need to be able to operate your vessel safely. If you are drinking you may be at risk of driving or navigating recklessly and without due care and attention, not just for people in the water but for those on board with you.’
Under the Harbours Inshore Safety (Jersey) Regulations 2012, a person is guilty of an offence – and liable to imprisonment for two years and a fine – if they operate a ship recklessly or in a manner that is dangerous to other people. They are also liable to a fine if they do so without due care and attention or without ‘reasonable consideration’ for others.
Mr Sadler said: ‘We have actually had a couple of successful prosecutions under those offences.’
He added: ‘The reality is that those regulations do allow us to take the action we need to. We will collect evidence such as video footage and witness statements, and ultimately it will be a magistrate who decides whether someone is guilty or not.’
In 2018, a speedboat skipper was fined £1,200 after committing offences in the Harbour, while trying to drive his boat to Sark in dense fog and failing light while drunk.
