(HIGHLANDS EAST TWP., ON) – Officers patrolling Deer Lake, in Highlands East Township, have laid multiple charges against a personal watercraft operator.
Members of the Bancroft Detachment of the Ontario Provincial Police (OPP) Marine Unit were on patrol when they stopped a personal watercraft to check on required safety equipment. Officers observed open alcohol and issued a demand for the operator to provide a breath sample using an approved alcohol screening device. The operator refused.
Kenneth THORNTON, age 60 of Courtice, was charged with failing or refusing to comply with a demand for a breath sample. He was also charged with having open liquor on a boat, for failing to have proof of competency for a pleasure craft and for not having required safety equipment.
The accused is scheduled to appear before the Ontario Court of Justice in Bancroft on September 2, 2025. The individual’s drivers’ licence has been suspended for 90 days.
The Bancroft Detachment is committed to the safety of all vessel operators and users, and anyone using the waterways for enjoyment. Officers frequently patrol many bodies of water – small to large – through the marine season using enforcement and education strategies.