Field operations weekly report, 2009 June 7-13

Department of Natural Resources
Wildlife Resources Division Law Enforcement Section
Field Operations
Weekly Report June 7-13, 2009
This report is a broad sampling of events that have taken place in the past week, but does not include all actions taken by the Law Enforcement Section.

Region I- Calhoun (Northwest)
BARTOW COUNTY On June 9th, at 6pm, RFC's Young and Hendrix responded to a call from Bartow 911 about a distressed boat taking on water at Lake Allatoona near Allatoona Landing. Bartow 911 advised that the operator and 6 passengers jumped from the boat and were in the water. Upon arrival, the Rangers could not locate any distressed vessel or persons in the area. The Rangers called Bartow 911 to advise them of the situation and the operator advised the Rangers that the call could be in Cherokee County near Victoria Landing. The Rangers responded to Victoria Landing and searched the area but were unable to locate any vessel or persons in the water. Both counties were advised that no contact was made.
On June 10th, RFCs Young and Hendrix responded to a call from Bartow 911 about a boat out of gas, floating in the middle of the lake, and the operator and passengers swam to shore. The Rangers went to the location near Glade Marina in an attempt to locate but found no boat floating in the lake. Bartow 911 called back and gave the Rangers the cell number of the vessel operator. Upon calling the vessel operator the Rangers learned that the boat was secured to the shore and that they were located near Webster's Ferry.
On June 12th, RFCs Varnell and Hendrix responded to a call from Bartow 911 of boat incident near marker 10A on Lake Allatoona with multiple injuries. The Rangers responded to area and found a 25 foot cabin cruiser that a struck some rocks off shore. The operator and one other passenger refused treatment at the scene but went to Cartersville Medical Center. The Rangers met the parties involved at the hospital for witness statements. The operator stated that he looked back at the person on the tube and then struck the rocks. The operator received treatment for a laceration to his forehead and the other passenger suffered from a sprained ankle.
On June 13th, Cpl. Cox and RFC Hendrix responded to a complaint of illegal spear fishing on the Etowah River. The complainant stated there was a male in a wet suit below the low head dam near Paga Mine Rd. spearing striped bass. The Rangers responded to the location by land but were unable to locate the individual.
CHEROKEE COUNTY On June 12th, RFC Hendrix received a call from the office about a drowning at Lake Allatoona at the Sweetwater Creek day use area beach. RFC Hendrix spoke to Cherokee 911 about the incident in which they stated the body of a five year old boy had been recovered and transported to Northside Cherokee.

Region II- Gainesville (Northeast)
HALL COUNTY On June 7th, Sgt. Brown, Cpl.'s Sanders and Loudermilk and RFC's Stephens and Shelton patrolled Lake Lanier. Numerous vessels were checked with citations, warnings and verbal guidance given for various violations. Also, during the course of this day four boating under the influence arrest were made.
Also, on this day Cpl. Loudermilk received a complaint from and individual that a subject in the swimming area at Clarks Bridge was in possession of marijuana. Cpl. Loudermilk talked with the subject and issued a citation for possession of marijuana.
TOWNS COUNTY On June 13th, RFC David Webb worked a drowning on Lake Chatuge. The victim was a three-year-old female that somehow had left her house, walked across a street while possibly chasing a ball and ended up in the water. Two bass fishermen located the victim's body and a neighbor notified Towns county 911.
RABUN COUNTY On June 12th, Georgia Power conducted an annual safety meeting at Lake Burton. Invitees included Northern Region Georgia Power Lake Association Presidents, Rabun County Sheriff and Chief Deputy, and DNR Law Enforcement Mountain Section Supervisors and Rangers. One of the topics discussed included a Ride Along Program that allows Rabun County Sheriff Deputies to accompany DNR Rangers on patrol boats on Burton, Rabun and Seed Lakes. Funding for the deputies is provided by the Lake Associations.
WHITE COUNTY On June 8th, RFC Anne Alexander and Wildlife Technician Frank Manning conducted two archery programs for Unicoi State Park Family Fun Day. Twenty families were present. The families also enjoyed canoeing, cooking, kite making, camping, and several other events over a 5-day period.
HART COUNTY On June 6th, RFC Chris Moore and Sgt. Stan Elrod patrolled Lake Hartwell by boat. Several boating and fishing citations were issued. Around midnight, they stopped a boat and one of the passengers was charged for Violation of Georgia Controlled Substance Act for a misdemeanor amount of marijuana.
On May 31st, RFC Josh Chambers and Sgt. Stan Elrod patrolled Lake Hartwell by boat. Just before midnight, a person on a jet ski came down the lake. The operator was arrested for operating under the Influence, and operating a personal watercraft after hours.

Region III- Thomson (East Central)
COLUMBIA COUNTY On June 14th, Cpl. Ryan Swain and Rfc Robert Timmerman arrested a male subject for operating a vessel while under the influence of drugs at Little River Marina.
WARREN COUNTY On June 14th, RFC Brian Adams investigated a fishing without permission complaint in a private pond. No charges were made.
NEWTON COUNTY On June 12th, RFC Larry Mills responded to a call of a body being found by a group of young fisherman on Wildcat Creek. Upon his arrival he determined that the body was not a drown victim, but a murder victim whom had been thrown off a bridge into Wildcat Creek. There was very little water in the creek and the body hit a sandy area. The body was rapped in a sheet and plastic and had several wounds in it.
LAKE OCONEE GREENE/MORGAN COUNTIES Over the weekend of June 12th through the 14th, Cpl. David Allen and RFC Ricky Boles investigated two boating incidents that took place on Lake Oconee. The first one was a boat fire that started in the battery compartment of a pontoon boat at a dock. No one was injured in this accident.
The second incident was more serious and several people were injured and taken to nearby hospitals for treatments. The driver exited the boat at a residential dock and left it running and in gear. On board the boat were two females and a child age 18 months. The child got hold of the throttle and accelerated the boat. The boat went forward, throwing one of the females into the water. The other female attempted to stop the boat, but it was too late. The boat made a sharp right hand turn and hit a tree on the shoreline. The impact forced the child under the console and the female through the windshield causing injury to both.
On June 13th, Cpl. Worth and RFC Ricky Boles was patrolling Lake Oconee when they observed a vessel towing a skier 17 minutes after sunset and operating with improper lights. Upon stopping the vessel the rangers found that the operator had been drinking. Cpl. Worth administered field sobriety exercises to the operator and determined that the operator was under the influence. The operator refused to take the state administered breath test. The operator was arrested for BUI, towing skier between sunset and sunrise, and improper lights.

ELBERT COUNTY On June 8th, Corporal Julian Wilkins and Corporal Greg Colson responded to a call in reference to a vehicle being in Lake Richard B. Russell at Elbert Ramp. The caller did not know if anyone was in the vehicle. Upon arrival Corporal Wilkins and Corporal Colson found the owner of the vehicle who had been on the lake fishing. The vehicle had rolled from the parking lot into the lake. A wrecker was called to remove the vehicle and trailer.
On June 10th, Corporal Julian Wilkins assisted the Governors Drug Task force. They found numerous marijuana plants which were pulled and destroyed.
On June 13th, Sergeant Brian Carter and Corporal Greg Colson responded to numerous PWC complaints on Lake Richard B. Russell at the beach area of Russell State Park as well as the Middleton Area of Lake Russell.
WALTON COUNTY On June 12th, Ranger Nikki Spencer assisted the Governors Drug Task Force in Walton County
OGLETHORPE COUNTY On June 12th, RFC Nick Jenkins assisted the Governors Drug Task Force in Oglethorpe County
Region IV- Macon (West Central)
TROUP COUNTY On June 7th, Cpl. Brent Railey and Cpl. Jim Bradfield patrolled West Point Lake for activity. They wrote several citations including an overloaded vessel and PWC violations, and screened one person for possible BUI.
On June 12th, Cpl. Brent Railey assisted RFC Mitch Oliver in checking commercial licenses in Harris County. They gave several verbal warnings. Cpl. Railey also patrolled Yellow Jacket Access on West Point Lake and found a boat that had swamped and capsized. He assisted the owner in getting the boat back on the trailer. During this another boat came between the shore and the NO WAKE buoy at the boat ramp. The boat was up on plane when it went by. Cpl. Railey went to the other ramp where the operator of this vessel was taking out of the lake and issued him a citation for failure to obey a regulatory marker.
On Thursday June 11th, Cpl Jim Bradfield met with and interviewed a subject in Pine Mountain Valley about fishing without permission complaint. This subject and four others had been caught by the Troup County landowner fishing on a private pond without permission on Saturday June 6th. This subject admitted to the incident and told Cpl. Bradfield whom the other four persons were who were also fishing. Cpl. Bradfield issued a citation to the subject. Changes are pending on the other four subjects.

Tuesday afternoon Cpl. Jim Bradfield assisted the US Coast Guard Aux in teaching a boating safety class in West Point Georgia. The class was being taught to the fire department in West Point as part of their continuing education program. About 15 students were present.
HEARD COUNTY On Tuesday June 9th, Cpl. Jim Bradfield met with a USFWS officer in Heard County. The two officers interviewed a subject in Franklin about the illegal killing and possession of three hawks. The subject did not provide any reasonable explanation of the events to the officers, blamed the incident on several other persons, and also stated that he just couldn't remember or did not know if it was him that had done it.
PUTNAM COUNTY On June 13th, Sgt. Bo Kelly stopped a vessel on Lake Sinclair in Putnam County for operating a vessel with improper lights. Sgt. Kelly spoke with the operator and realized that he was impaired. The operator was found to be under the influence of both alcohol and drugs and was placed under arrest for BUI drugs. The operator of the vessel and a passenger were both charged with possession of marijuana and taken to the Putnam County Jail. The operator was charged with improper lights, operating a vessel under the influence and possession of marijuana.
Cpl. Bill Goodson conducted a boating safety program for Mothers Against Crime on Saturday, June 13th at Oconee Springs Park on Lake Sinclair.
BALDWIN COUNTY On June 13th, Sgt. Bo Kelly and Cpl. Stan Semmler stopped a vessel on Lake Sinclair in Baldwin County. Sgt. Kelly and Cpl. Semmler noticed the operator hide a beer can as they pulled up to the vessel. Cpl. Semmler and Sgt. Kelly screened the 20 year old operator and placed him under arrest for operating a vessel under the influence.
LAMAR COUNTY On June 8th, RFC Keith Page received a call from the Lamar County Sheriff's Office that a suspicious vehicle had been spotted on the side of S 6th St. Extension. The vehicle was said to have fishing equipment located inside that had been seen by the deputy. RFC Page went to the vehicle and noticed a trail through the woods just beside the truck. RFC Page followed the trail nearly a mile and a half through the woods to find 4 men from DeKalb County fishing in a pond without permission. The men had taken over the limit of fish. After releasing all the fish that were still alive, RFC Page charged the men with fishing without permission and possession of illegally taken wildlife because there were 47 fish that were dead and could not be release. RFC Page gave the fish to a less fortunate family in the community.

JASPER COUNTY On June 13th, RFC Keith Page and Cpl. Tony Wynne arrested two men on Jackson Lake for operating vessels while under the influence of alcohol. The first man was seen towing a skier through a "no-wake" zone. He was later found to have a blood alcohol content of 0.113. The second man, who had noticeably been drinking, was seen driving extremely close to several docks well above idle speed. This man later refused to perform field sobriety exercises and was consequently arrested for operating a vessel under the influence of alcohol. Both men were taken to the Jasper County jail.
Region V- Albany (Southwest)
DECATUR COUNTY On June 6th, Sgt. Rick Sellars and Cpl. Mike Binion stopped a PWC on the Flint River for violating the 100-foot law and operating without registration numbers displayed. The vessel operator displayed signs of impairment and failed a series of field sobriety exercises. He was charged with operating a vessel while under the influence of alcohol.
EARLY COUNTY On June 7th, Cpl. Terri Jones answered a landowner complaint of people fishing in a private pond without permission. Two subjects were cited for fishing without permission.
LEE COUNTY On the evening of June 13th, Ranger Randy James was conducting a boat patrol on the Kinchafoonee creek when he encountered two people in a small boat. The boat was being operated without lifejackets and further investigation revealed that the operator was impaired. The operator was placed under arrest for operating a vessel under the influence.
BROOKS COUNTY On June 13th, RFC Jon Penuel and Sgt. David Ruddell patrolled the Withlacoochee River along the Georgia-Florida line for boating activity. During this patrol they encountered a group of kayakers with insufficient lifejackets. Officer Penuel then loaned the group enough lifejackets to continue their 6-hour float trip. When the officers returned to pick up the loaned equipment, they observed two subjects shooting handguns at the public boat ramp. The two shooters were warned for discharging firearms near a public highway.
Region VI- Metter (Southeast)
MONTGOMERY COUNTY During the week, RFC Danielle Partin and Cpl. Jon Barnard patrolled the Altamaha River from Gray's landing to the three rivers. One individual was found with insufficient PFD's. The officers provided the operator of the vessel sufficient PFD's and followed it to safety. The vessel did not have registration.

EMANUEL COUNTY On June 7th, RFC Jamey O'Brien patrolled and checked boat ramps for fishing and boating safety violations at boat ramps at George L Smith State Park. No violations found.
On June 12th, RFC Jamey O'Brien patrolled Ogeechee River along Cadillac Club, Coleman's Lake, and Midville boat landings. Several warnings were issued for fishing w/o a license, no registration on vessel, and fishing w/o a license.
On June 13th, RFC Jamey O'Brien patrolled Ogeechee River with Ranger Grant Matherly from Region III. Approximately 15 boats were checked for boating, creel, and other violations. Areas patrolled included Midville, Coleman's Lake, and Cadillac Club Landings. The patrol resulted in warnings issued for no PFD's and expired registration.
CANDLER COUNTY On June 7th, RFC Jamey O'Brien patrolled the county by ATV, checking local creeks/rivers and hunting clubs for illegal activities. No violations were found.
BULLOCH COUNTY On June 13th, Ranger Brannen and Sgt. William Vickers patrolled the Ogeechee River. Eight boats were checked. One violation was documented for allowing a passenger to ride the bow.
On June 7th, Cpl. Eddie Akins and Ranger Brandon Pierce responded to a nuisance alligator complaint in lower Bulloch County. Information learned from talking with complainant led to three violations being documented as a result of the killing of one of the nuisance alligators. One violation was documented for hunting alligators out of season and two violations were documented for possession of illegally taken wildlife.
On June 12th, Cpl. Eddie Akins and Sgt. William Vickers patrolled the stretch of Ogeechee River from Williams Landing to the Bulloch County Sportsman Club Landing. Eight boats and eight licenses were checked with no violations being detected.
On June 13th, Cpl. Eddie Akins patrolled the Ogeechee River from above Steel Bridge to Dashers Landing. Cpl. Akins' actions resulted in fifteen boats being checked and one violation for operating vessel without PFDs and one violation for operating a vessel without registration being documented.
EFFINGHAM COUNTY On June 10th, Ranger Brandon Pierce checked river landings on the Savannah and Ogeechee Rivers, as well as, local creeks. No licenses or boats were checked and no violations were documented.
EVANS COUNTY On June 11th, Ranger Brannen patrolled Evans P.F.A. One violation was written for fishing without a license and one for fishing on a P.F.A. without a W.M.A. license.

COOK COUNTY On June 8th, Cpl. Greg Moody attended the Region VI customer service and region meeting at Hazlehurst.
On June 9th Cpl. Moody received a complaint of fishing w/o permission in Lowndes County. He and Sgt. David Nugent responded and two subjects were issued citations for the violation.
On June 10th, Cpl. Moody responded to a complaint of illegal dumping off Grimsley Road. An investigation of the site resulted in one subject agreeing to clean up the area. One citation for littering was issued.
TATTNALL COUNTY On June 9th, RFC Clint Jarriel and Cpl. Jon Barnard patrolled the Altamaha River from Tippons Lake to Adams Fish Camp. The officers checked 4 boats and no violations were detected.
Region VII- Brunswick (Coastal)