Boats, revelers, hot temperature add up to busy Boater Skip Day
GREEN COVE SPRINGS – By any standard, the numbers for Boater Skip Day were remarkable. According to the Clay County Sheriff's Office, at its peak at 2 p.m., an estimated 1,100 boats were near Mile …
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Boats, revelers, hot temperature add up to busy Boater Skip Day
GREEN COVE SPRINGS – By any standard, the numbers for Boater Skip Day were remarkable.
According to the Clay County Sheriff's Office, at its peak at 2 p.m., an estimated 1,100 boats were near Mile Marker 24 on the St. Johns River at Bayard Point, which made the crowd at the annual event anywhere from 4,000 to 7,000 people.
That kind of event certainly required a massive response from law enforcement and fire rescue, including 62 members of CCSO, nine from Clay County Fire Rescue, three from Clay County Emergency Management, two from the Green Cove Springs Police Department, 22 from Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation, two from the Jacksonville Sheriff’s Office, four from Jacksonville Fire Rescue Department, eight from the St. Johns Sheriff’s Office, four from the Nassau County Sheriff’s Office, two from the Putnam County Sheriff’s Office, two from the Volusia County Sheriff’s Office and one from St. Augustine Police Department.
There were a few issues. Fish and Wildlife issued 12 boating under the influence citations, SJSO and CCSO wrote five BUI tickets, and the Florida Highway Patrol arrested six for DUI. CCSO also arrested five for disorderly intoxication, and one of those also was charged with resisting arrest. Two people were transported to a local hospital for minor trauma by CCFR and three others were treated and released for general sickness.
"I am happy to report there were no fatalities,” said FWC's Major Scott Lee. “We appreciate the collaboration with local agencies devoted to keeping the boating public on the St. Johns River safe and providing safe waterways for everyone to enjoy.”
The agency also reported there were no boating accidents.
FWC officers issued 85 written warnings for various boating violations and 25 uniform boating citations.
Another noteworthy number was the temperature. The National Weather Service said the thermometer topped at 100 degrees between 3:50 p.m. and 4:50 p.m.
The unique gathering falls on the first Friday of June when people call out of work and spend the day playing hooky on the water.
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