Field operations weekly report, 2010 July 25-31

Department of Natural Resources
Wildlife Resources Division Law Enforcement Section
Field Operations
Weekly Report July 25-31, 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 July25th, Cpl. Chip Cox and RFC Bart Hendrix were on a late patrol on Lake Allatoona. They noticed a boat without a stern light near the hazardous poles in front of Allatoona Landing Marina. They briefly stopped the boat as the operator discovered that his stern light pole was just loose in its fitting. Close to midnight, the Rangers stopped the same boat coming under Bethany Bridge again without a stern light. This time the Rangers pulled alongside the boat and noticed that the operator had an odor of alcohol and stumbled as he tried to fix the stern light. Cpl. Cox asked the operator how much alcohol he had consumed and the operator replied, "he appreciated what DNR does on the lake but they were OK" and then the operator pushed the DNR boat away. Cpl. Cox and RFC Hendrix returned to the boat again inquiring about the amount of alcohol the operator had consumed. The operator was checked and it was discovered that he was impaired over twice the legal limit. He was arrested, charged with "boating under the influence of alcohol", and transported to the Bartow County Jail.
On the morning of July 31st, RFC Byron Young received a call from a landowner in Euharlee off Mission Road whose property backed up to the Etowah River. He had found a canoe beached on his property that had floated down the river and suspected that the people were illegally hunting for Indian artifacts. Ranger Young responded and accessed the property on foot. He located a man and woman in their 40's from Floyd County who were digging with shovels and sifting equipment attempting to locate Indian arrowheads and artifacts. The two were charged with violation of digging artifacts without the landowner's written permission.
In the late evening on July 31st, Sgt. Mike Barr was patrolling the Etowah River at Douthit Ferry alongside the Etowah River Indian Mound area. As he walked down to the river, he witnessed a female come up a steep bank, see him, and immediately turn and speak loudly to another person on the river that the Game Warden was coming. Sgt. Barr noticed that the woman was very thin and was involuntarily twitching. Sgt. Barr found a man and a small plastic pond fishing boat under the bridge. When the man saw Sgt. Barr, he immediately sat down in the water. He was also twitching, an indication of recent meth use. Sgt. Barr obtained permission and searched the boat. He located drug objects including a recently used hypodermic needle. There was blood in the syringe indicating that the needle had been used to inject meth into a vein. Sgt. Barr also located a cat litter box that contained several rock digging tools, spades, large knives, and lights. The woman admitted using meth. The two had no life jackets and were about to float the Etowah River at night in an unsafe boat, camp along the way, and spend the night digging for Indian artifacts. The two were checked by Bartow County EMS and the man was taken to the hospital. It was suspected that he swallowed a large quantity of meth when he saw Sgt. Barr approach him on the river.

At 830 pm, RFC Byron Young and RFC Bart Hendrix were patrolling Lake Allatoona in the no-wake zone at the Blockhouse boat ramp. They witnessed 3 jet-skis just outside of the no-wake zone doing "donuts" and traveling at high speed around the hazardous pole markers adjacent to the public use camping area. The poles are approximately 60 feet apart. The Rangers stopped the jet-skis and the operators started arguing that they were professional jet-skiers who knew what they were doing. RFC Byron Young calmly explained the 100-foot law and that there were rocks just under the surface of water where the hazardous poles were located. The operators were charged with violation of the 100-foot law in excess of idle speed.
CHEROKEE COUNTY On July 31st, RFC Bart Hendrix and Byron Young responded to an emergency call on Lake Allatoona at the Sweetwater beach and swim area. A young 12-year-old boy was swimming inside the swimming barrier and disappeared. A helpful citizen located the boy and pulled him out of the water. Citizens also started CPR and Cherokee County EMS arrived and continued CPR efforts. Unfortunately, CPR efforts were unsuccessful. The victim was transported to the Northside Hospital located in Canton.
GILMER COUNTY On July 31st, Sgt. John VanLandingham observed four people walking down a roadway and about to enter the Rich Mountain WMA. Two of the people were drinking beer and tried to hide it as they saw Sgt. VanLandingham approach. One of the subjects was found to be under age and the other was 21 and had supplied the alcohol. Sgt. VanLandingham cited the two subjects for possession of alcohol by an under age person, and providing alcohol to an under age person. The four people were not allowed to enter the WMA.
MURRAY COUNTY On July 31st, Wildlife Technicians Larry Ethridge, Mark Moyer, Tim Gilbreath, and Law Enforcement Cpl. James Keener assisted the U.S. Forest Service with an undercover surveillance detail in the Holly Creek area of Cohutta WMA. The U.S. Forest Service and DNR officers issued several citations and warnings for possession of alcohol, open containers, littering and other charges.
Region II- Gainesville (Northeast)
ROCKDALE COUNTY On July 29th, the two CAT Teams for Region II were in Conyers for a CART (Child Abduction Response Team) Exercise with the GBI and other agencies. The exercise went very well and was a success.
HALL COUNTY On July 25th, Cpl. Eric Sanders responded to a boating accident at Aqua land Marina. An intake hose had broken and caused the boat to take on water. The boat completely sank. No one was injured during this accident. Cpl. Sanders transported the occupants of the boat to Aqua land Marina.

Later on that day, Cpl. Sanders along with Sgt. Mike Burgamy and RFC Eric Isom, responded to a boating accident at River Forks Park. A subject had jumped off the bow of a pontoon boat and was struck by the motor. The injured subject was transported to Northeast Georgia Medical Center. During the investigation by DNR and the Hall County Sheriff's Office several subjects were arrested by the sheriff's office for under age consumption of alcohol and one subject arrested for providing the alcohol to the under age persons. Later into the investigation, Cpl. Sanders found out the boat was taken without permission from Port Royal Marina by an employee. Port Royal Marina is taking charges out on the employee for taking the pontoon without permission.
On July 31st, Cpl. Jason Roberson and RFC Mitchell Crump were patrolling in the Shoal Creek area of Lake Lanier when they stopped a boat for operating with improper lights. During the stop the operator was screened for operating a vessel under the influence. The operator was arrested and charged with boating under the influence and operating a vessel with improper lights.
Later that evening while in the Shoal Creek area of Lake Lanier Cpl. Roberson and RFC Crump stopped another boat for operating with improper lights. The operator of this boat was also screened for boating under the influence. The operator was charged with boating under the influence and operating a vessel with improper lights.
Region III- Thomson (East Central)
ELBERT COUNTY On Wednesday July 27th, Cpl. Greg Colson responded to a stranded boater call from Elbert County 911. The subjects were stranded below Richard B. Russell Dam on Clark Hill Lake. Cpl. Colson responded and assisted the subjects, getting them safely off the water. The subjects had a dead battery.
Region IV- Macon (West Central)
BALDWIN COUNTY Just before noon on July 25th, Cpl. Bill Goodson received a call from the Baldwin County Sheriff's Office in reference to a boating incident. Cpl. Goodson, along with RFC Chad Welch, went to the hospital to meet with the victim who was being treated for his injuries while Cpl. Bubba Stanford went to the lake in order to interview witnesses and inspect the boat. According to witnesses the victim fell from the bow of a pontoon boat and was struck by one of the pontoon's floats. The victim sustained a broken collarbone and is expected to make a full recovery. The incident is still under investigation.
On the evening of July 30th Cpl. Bubba Stanford was patrolling the area below Sinclair Dam along the Oconee River when he encountered two subjects fishing. Although they were in possession of a number of fish, neither subject had a fishing license. Both were charged with fishing without a license.

LAMAR COUNTY On July 25th, RFC Keith Page and Sgt. Tim Kendrick completed the search for a young man who fled from them on July 3rd. Kendrick and Page apprehended the young man, who was 19 years old, on July 3rd while the two Rangers were working a drowning on the Ocmulgee River. He and several friends, all underage, were found to all be extremely intoxicated. However, the young man fled to his vehicle and left the scene. Page and Kendrick went to the subject's residence in Macon and talked to his family members. After getting several contact numbers for the subject, officers were able to contact him and convince him to turn himself in. The individual met Page and Kendrick in Forsyth where he was arrested and taken to the Monroe County Jail.
PUTNAM COUNTY On the evening of July 31st at around 9:30 p.m. RFC Josh Copelan and Cpl. Bubba Stanford were patrolling Lake Sinclair when they observed a pontoon boat operating with docking lights on. They stopped the boat for the lighting violation and, while conducting a safety check, noticed the operator appeared to be extremely intoxicated. Further investigation led to the operator being placed under arrest for boating under the influence and transported to the Putnam County Jail.
TROUP COUNTY On the morning July 26th Cpl. Jim Bradfield responded to a call on West Point Lake regarding a vehicle in the water. The vehicle had been noticed by a boater who called Troup 911. Investigation revealed the elderly driver of the vehicle, who had been reported missing by relatives the previous evening, had run off the road into the lake. Unfortunately, the victim drowned as a result.
Region V- Albany (Southwest)
DECATUR COUNTY On July 31st, RFC Tony Cox and Cpl. Mike Binion responded to a report of a vessel explosion and fire on the Flint River. All occupants of the vessel managed to escape the blaze. The cause of the fire has not yet been determined and is under investigation.
CLAY COUNTY While patrolling Lake W.F. George on July 31st, RFC Bob Holley observed two jet skis "buzzing" each other at a high rate of speed. Holley stopped the vessels and cited both operators for operating within 100 feet of another vessel above idle speed. During the patrol he also issued three warnings for operating a personal watercraft without wearing a life jacket and towing a skier without an observer.

Region VI- Metter (Southeast)
WARE COUNTY On July 26th, Cpl. Gary Simmons was patrolling an area of timbered property when he found a well used trail leading off a logging road. Checking the area more closely, Cpl. Simmons located several marijuana plants. Cpl. Simmons notified the sheriff's office and then met with a detective. The Sheriff's Office decided to pull the plants. Fourteen marijuana plants ranging from three to four feet tall were seized.
On July 31st, Cpl. Gary Simmons was checking local river public access areas and landings for fishing and boating activity. While checking the Satilla River at US Hwy. 84 Bridge, he spoke with two men that had been living in tents at the landing for six to eight weeks. Cpl. Simmons determined that one of the men was wanted in Henry County on an outstanding warrant. The individual was arrested & turned over to a Ware County deputy.
On July 31st, Sgt. Patrick Dupree & Cpl. Damon Winters checked several public access locations along the Satilla River from Duncan's Bridge downstream to Jamestown for over-the-limit fishing violations. Only two fishing licenses and one boat were checked. It seemed most people were keeping cool in the extreme heat by swimming & enjoying the cool water.
PIERCE COUNTY On July 31st, Sgt. Patrick Dupree & Cpl. Damon Winters visited with members of Satilla River-Keepers during their scheduled river clean-up that was being conducted from the GA Hwy. 121 Bridge south of Blackshear. Members had removed a large amount of debris such as old tires and other trash from the river during the morning event.
BULLOCH COUNTY On July 28th, Cpl. Eddie Akins responded to a call of illegal dumping/burying of debris from a burnt house. Cpl. Akins gathered information about the incident, obtained the address, and photographed the incident. The following morning all information was turned over to EPD for evaluation of damages to the area and to devise a cleanup plan.

Region VII- Brunswick (Coastal)
WAYNE COUNTY On July 20th, Cpl Bobby White went to state court in Wayne Co on an illegal duck hunting case that he made in November 2009. The defendant was found guilty of hunting without permission, taking over the bag limit and hunting with illegal ammo. The defendant paid fines totaling $1,100 and received 12 months probation.
BRYAN COUNTY On July 18th, RGR Jack Thain and Cpl. Jay Morgan patrolled the Ogeechee River below Ft. McAllister. One boater was cited for not having enough life jackets on board. On July 22nd, Sgt. James Shelton and RGR Jack Thain patrolled the Ogeechee River above King's Ferry ramp, citing one person for fishing without a fishing license. CAMDEN COUNTY On July 18th, RFC Craig Smith and Cpl. Chris Hodge were conducting a late afternoon patrol at Temple boat ramp on the St.Mary's River. Of the boats checked, Cpl. Hodge cited one subject for operating a vessel without lights and RFC Smith cited one operator for allowing a child to ride in vessel without life jacket, operating vessel without life jackets on board, operating vessel without registration, and operating vessel without lights. On July 20th, Cpl Jesse Cook and Cpl Billy Reed responded to a missing boater on Satilla River at 3R Fish Camp. The boater's truck and trailer were pulled into the water as if boater was going to retrieve boat. RFC Rebekah Fuller who was attending Forward Looking Infrared (FLIR) training was contacted and Pilot Brian Yaughn of the Georgia State Patrol and RFC Fuller responded. The body of the boater was located on the following morning by Deputies from the Camden County Sheriff's Office and DNR.

On July 24th, RFC Craig Smith, Cpl Jesse Cook and Sgt John Harwell responded to a very weak distress call from a boater who was said to be somewhere between St. Simons Island and Harriett's Bluff. This is a stretch of approximately 30 miles. A vehicle description and the subject's last name was the only information the rangers had. A search was conducted for the vehicle in both Glynn and Camden Counties with negative contact. This incident stresses the need for boaters to relay to a relative or friend exactly where they are going and when they expect to return to assist searchers if needed.
CHATHAM COUNTY On July 23rd, RFC Randy Tinley and Cpl. Cindy Miller were on saltwater patrol in the Turner's Creek area. The Rangers recognized a boat and the person operating it as being the one they had cited on July 3rd, for operating a vessel under the influence. The vessel was stopped and the individual was cited for operating a vessel while boating privileges were suspended.
On July 24th, Cpl. Cindy Miller responded to Memorial Hospital to take statements from individuals who were involved in a boating incident that occurred on the Savannah River. Five people were on board when they hit a tugboat wake, sending two individuals to the hospital. The two injured individuals both suffered broken backs.
LIBERTY COUNTY On July 21st, Cpl. Phillip Scott cited one person at the Lake George Community Dock for fishing without permission and littering.