Photo: Surfline
On Friday afternoon, Surfline’s beach camera at Lower Trestles captured footage of a boater plowing through the Lower Trestles lineup. Nobody was surprised that the clip went viral immediately, causing a flood of shocked and outraged reactions. The internet didn’t hold back on calling for severe punishment to the boater responsible.
On Monday afternoon, SFGATE reported that the unidentified boater was, in fact, given a citation by California State Parks.
“California State Parks Peace Officers identified and cited the boater for reckless operation of a vessel following the incident at San Onofre State Beach on Friday. We are thankful no one was injured and remain committed to protecting the safety of all visitors on the water and along our coast,” Jo Biswas, a spokesperson for California State Parks, told them.
According to SFGate, that citation will be forwarded to the local district attorney’s office where any additional penalties will be pursued. Penalties for violations of California’s Harbors and Navigation Code vary. Reckless boating is defined as operating a vessel in a negligent manner, endangering life, limb, or property of others, or operating a boat under the influence. It is classified as a misdemeanor that can bring up to 180 days in jail. The violation can be upgraded to a felony charge if it’s found that a boater is under the influence of alcohol or drugs.
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Brian Weber, a local surfer in the lineup that afternoon, told Surfline it was “amazing that no one died.” Weber recalled the incident in a video posted to social media over the weekend and credited other surfers in the lineup for warning everybody else with enough time to swim out of the boat’s path.
“The guys that were screaming on the outside to get everybody else’s attention probably saved a handful of the guys’ lives that were sitting, just chatting it up like you normally do at Lowers,” he said.
