PENETANGUISHENE - Police say a local resident has been charged with impaired operation of a vehicle after a patrol of boats in Penetang Bay.
Members of the marine unit with the Southern Georgian Bay OPP Detachment were conducting general patrol on in the evening hours of Sept. 10, ensuring vessels were properly equipped with safety equipment and checking for impaired operators, the OPP said in a release.
At around 8:30 p.m. officers stopped a vessel and while checking the vessel they entered into a drinking and driving investigation with the vessel operator.
Raymond Zabel, 58, of Tiny Township was charged with:
- Operation while impaired - alcohol
- Operation while impaired - blood alcohol concentration (80 plus)
Zabel is also charged with failing to have a sufficient number of lifejackets on board for all occupants and operating a vessel underway with open alcohol.
The accused was released from police custody to appear before the Ontario Court of Justice on Sept. 21. He faces a 90-day drivers licence suspension as per Ministry of Transportation guidelines, the OPP said.
None of the allegations have been tested in court and Zabel is considered innocent unless proven guilty.
