Juneau Police say alcohol may have been a factor in a boat collision Friday evening that sent a Juneau man to the hospital for treatment of serious injuries.
Police say they were notified through 911 by a caller who reported that a skiff was dragging someone through Gastineau Channel near Douglas Harbor.
Two Good Samaritan vessels were in the area. After the skiff was stopped, the crew of one vessel pulled the injured man from the water and the crew of another towed the skiff back to shore. The skiff operator was unresponsive and suffered severe facial injuries.
As KTOO reported on Monday, the 14-foot aluminum skiff operated by a 47-year old man apparently collided with a 24-foot cabin cruiser that was operated by a 91-year old man.
Investigators now say the still-unidentified 47-year old man was operating the skiff ‘on step’ just before the collision.
There were no injuries were reported among those on the 24-foot cabin cruiser.
The skiff was impounded and a search warrant was obtained for a sample of the man’s blood which will now be tested.
