Field operations weekly report, 2010 June 20-26

Department of Natural Resources
Wildlife Resources Division Law Enforcement Section
Field Operations
Weekly Report June 20-26, 2010
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 Thursday June 24th, Sgt. Mike Barr received an emergency call about a possible drowning on the Etowah River at the highway 411 Bridge. Sgt. Barr arrived shortly and met with Bartow County Investigator Billy Henson. He learned that 4 people had gone to the river to fish. Two of them decided to wade across the river to the island above the Hwy 411 Bridge. A man and his girlfriend decided to go into the water on the other side of the island. They entered swifter and deeper water and the man began yelling that he couldn't swim. The girlfriend tried to help him, but she was almost pulled under. The man was swept downstream and drowned. The Bartow County EMS personnel recovered his body.
On Saturday June 26th, Sgt. Mike Barr, RFC Bart Hendrix, and DNR Chaplin Danny Cochran were patrolling Lake Allatoona by boat. They entered Illinois Creek and witnessed a jet ski operated by a young woman and a male passenger who was not wearing a life jacket on his upper body. They stopped the jet ski but before the Rangers could speak with the two, they both fell off the jet ski into the water. The Rangers assisted getting the two out of the water. The young woman who was operating the jetski had a difficult time getting up the platform ladder and into the back of the DNR patrol boat. The Rangers noticed the young woman was very unsteady on her feet and had an odor of alcohol. She was interviewed and subsequently arrested for operating a boat under the influence of alcohol. She was transported to the Bartow County Jail.
On Saturday June 26th, Sgt. Mike Barr and RFC Bart Hendrix were patrolling Lake Allatoona after dark. They witnessed a pontoon boat in front of Park Marina without any lights displayed. The boat was stopped and the Rangers found three men on the boat who had been fishing. They had encountered electrical problems with the boat and were trying to get the boat back to a slip at Park Marine. RFC Hendrix assisted with getting the boat back in the Marina while Sgt. Mike Barr warned other boats from the area with the DNR patrol boat blue lights.
MURRAY COUNTY On 20th, RFC Cody Jones and RFC Eddie Tompkins stopped a vessel on Carters Lake that they believed was stolen. With no identifying numbers and the vessel owner not answering phone calls to identify the vessel rangers released the vessel and got information from the parties in the vessel. On June 21st RFC Tompkins made contact with the vessel owner and the owner was able to identify the vessel. Later that day while off duty RFC Tompkins located the vessel in tow in Dalton. RFC Tompkins was able to get a state trooper to stop the vehicle and vessel. The owner was contacted and the vessel was returned to the rightful owner. A detective was working the case and she was contacted. Three subjects were taken into custody. The investigation is ongoing.
Region II- Gainesville (Northeast)

Region III- Thomson (East Central)
COLUMBIA COUNTY On June 26, Cpl Ryan Swain and Cpl Brian Hobbins conducted a saturated patrol of Keg Creek as a part of operation dry water, a anti-alcohol and boating patrol. One subject was arrested for BUI and a combination of 10 warnings and citations were written for other various violations.
On June 26, Rfc. Leroy Ficklin worked a marine event at Points West Army Campground on Clarks Hill Lake. The event was a handicapped skiing activity for subjects who could not ski on regular skis but could participate in the sport by using a special ski designed to meet their physical disabilities.
Region IV- Macon (West Central)
JASPER COUNTY On the evening of June 22nd, while patrolling boat ramps and river landings, RFC Billy Bryant received a call from the Jasper County 911 center in reference to two male juveniles lost on horse trails near the Ocmulgee River. Bryant responded to the area and later located the two juveniles, hot and dehydrated, but otherwise in good condition. One of the boy's mother came to scene and picked them up.
MONROE COUNTY On the morning of June 22nd Cpl. Tony Wynne presented a wildlife program at the Monroe County Library. The program was one of a series to promote the library's "Summer Splash" reading program among the local children.
On June 26th, at Timber Lake Campground, Cpl. Wynn presented an educational program regarding the responsibilities of the Georgia Department of Natural Resources Law Enforcement Section.
PULASKI COUNTY On June 23rd RFC Tim Butler, Cpl. John Harkins, and Cpl. Robert Stillwell assisted the Governor's Drug Task Force with marijuana suppression flights. No grow operations were found during the operation.
UPSON COUNTY On June 21st Cpl. Susan Morris conducted an educational program at a day camp in Thomaston for the children of grades 3 through 6. She told them about a conservation ranger's duties and, showing them a number of mounted specimens, discussed wildlife around their homes and community.
LAKE JACKSON On June 25th Sgt. Tim Kendrick and Cpl. Tony Wynne patrolled Lake Jackson for boating violations as well as to check a complaint Sgt. Kendrick had received. Violations

noted were operating a vessel with insufficient personal flotation devices (PFDs), towing skiers without an observer or a mirror, and operating vessel with improper lights.
Region V- Albany (Southwest)
Region VI- Metter (Southeast)
DODGE COUNTY On June 21st, Cpl. Johnny Ashe was patrolling the north end of Dodge County checking on a complaint of someone trespassing and fishing in a pond without permission. After patrolling the area a subject pulled out from an abandoned residence on Grant road matching the description of the suspected violator. Upon stopping the subject two (2) packages of suspected methamphetamine were found in his pants pockets. The suspect was turned over to the Dodge County S/O.
EFFINGHAM COUNTY On June 20th, Cpl. Eddie Akins checked Dashers Landing, Abercorn Landing, Tommy Long Landing, Long Bridge Landing and Tuckaseeking Landing for boating safety and fishing activity. His efforts resulted in fifteen boats and four fishing license being checked. No violations were documented.
On June 24th, RFC Brandon Pierce was on regular patrol when he noticed a vehicle stranded on the side of the highway. While turning around the officer noticed a subject exit the vehicle with two small children. Upon speaking with the subject it was determined that the vehicle was out of gas. The officer assisted the subjects in getting some gas and then followed them to the gas station.
On June 26th, RFC Brandon Pierce and Sgt. William Vickers conducted a boating safety patrol on the Savannah River. A total of twenty boats and twelve fishing licenses were inspected. As a result of the inspection three violations were documented. The violations consisted of fishing without a license and allowing an underage child to ride in a moving vessel without wearing a PFD. Later that evening the officers encountered a stranded vessel containing five subjects with motor problems. The officers assisted the subjects with the motor problems and escorted them to the nearest landing.
EVANS COUNTY On June 20th, RFC Debbie Brannen checked the Canoochee River for activity. Violations were documented for fishing without licenses and operating a vessel with insufficient lifejackets.
On June 21st, RFC Debbie Brannen checked the Ogeechee River at Oliver for activity. One citation was written for fishing without a license.
On June 27th, RFC Debbie Brannen checked an ongoing complaint on the Canoochee River. Verbal guidance was given for an unregistered boat, fishing without permission

and trespassing. Later the patrol led to the Evans Public Fishing area. Several licenses were checked with violations for fishing without licenses and fishing on a P.F.A. without a W.M.A. license were addressed.
ATKINSON COUNTY On June 24th, RFC Tim Hutto completed a complaint-based investigation on a subject who had dumped several bags of household trash at Union Hill Bridge. The subject gave RFC Hutto a full confession and was charged with unlawful dumping of waste.
CHARLTON COUNTY On June 27th, Cpl. Damon Winters conducted a boating safety patrol on the St. Mary's River as part of Operation Drywater (an organized patrol effort concentrating on boating under the influence violations). No BUI violations were detected but eight boaters were contacted along with several people at Trader's Hill Campground offering heightened awareness of the potential dangers of boating under the influence.
On June 23rd, Cpt. Scott Klingel, Sgt. Patrick Dupree, Cpl. Jimmy Williams, Cpl. Damon Winters, RFC Joe Hilton and RFC Keith McDonald, assisted the Charlton County S.O. with a high-risk felony arrest warrant. The suspect was hiding at a residence in Folkston, Ga. Several officers from various agencies surrounded the residence and the suspect was taken into custody without incident.
TIFT COUNTY On June 21st, Sgt. Patrick Dupree & Georgia Trapper's Association director Rusty Johnson conducted an educational program on Georgia's fur trapping laws & modern trapping methods. The two-hour class was part of a week-long natural resources educational workshop coordinated by the UGA Cooperative Extension Service. The course was held at Abraham Baldwin College in Tifton, GA for middle & high school agricultural teachers.
ECHOLS COUNTY On June 22nd, Sgt. Patrick Dupree responded to a call near Mayday of a deer fawn trapped inside a fenced cattle pasture. The fawn could not be captured by hand as it was approximately 1.5 months old, very healthy and fast. Sgt. Dupree advised the landowner the fawn would probably be able to jump the fence in several more days. The doe had been observed inside the fence several times with the fawn and it was agreed to leave it alone.
Region VII- Brunswick (Coastal)