On July 25, 2016 at 3:30 pm, Lincoln County Sheriff’s Marine Deputy Barry Bruster responded to a report of a disorderly male at Ollala Reservoir near Toledo.  Marine Deputy Bruster contacted Gregory Wold, age 46 of Toledo OR, who was operating a rubber raft that matched the description of the disorderly subject. Deputy Bruster determined that Wold was drinking alcohol and boating. Wold failed field sobriety tests. Wold was arrested and transported to the Lincoln County jail where he was lodged on a charge of Boating Under the Influence of Intoxicants with a bail of $15,000. Boating and drinking can be a deadly mix. One third of all boating fatalities in Oregon each year are alcohol-related. Operating a boat while under the influence of alcohol or drugs is a crime in Oregon. The law applies to all boats, motorized and non-motorized, which includes rafts, kayaks, and canoes.

Alcohol impairs these crucial functions:

Judgment – Alcohol slows your ability to make good decisions. A person may take dangerous risks when under the influence of alcohol.

Reaction time – Alcohol slows your reaction time greatly, increasing the risk of collision and other accidents.

Vision – Alcohol impairs your ability to see clearly and affects your peripheral view and depth perception.

Balance and Coordination – Alcohol impairs your balance and coordination increasing the odds of falling over board. The ability to coordinate arm and leg movements decreases, making it difficult to swim.

One alcoholic beverage on the water has the same perceived effect as having three on land, according to recent studies by the U.S. Coast Guard’s Office of Boating Safety.

Your Lincoln County Sheriff’s Office asks you to Boat Safe. Boat Sober.