FWC Division of Law Enforcement Report

April 4 - 10, 2008

This report represents some events the Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission (FWC) handled over the past week; however, it does not include all actions taken by the Division of Law Enforcement.

NORTHWEST REGION

SANTA ROSA COUNTY

On April 5, the manmade dam of Locklin Lake near Milton gave way after four hours of intense rainfall.  The dam, which is on Mill Hopper Creek, is approximately 1/2 mile from the Blackwater River on the north side of Highway 90.  Several thousand gallons of water washed mud, logs, litter and other debris into the Blackwater River approximately 200 yards above the Highway 90 Bridge.  Santa Rosa County emergency officials advised it will be weeks before the river is back to normal levels.

On April 5, a minor twovessel collision occurred in the Blackwater River approximately two miles north of the Highway 90 Bridge in the "S Curve" of Moccasin Cut Off.  Moccasin Cut Off is a popular narrow shortcut which reduces time and distance by a mile or more than the main river flow of Blackwater River.  A 21foot vessel and 17foot bass boat met head on in the blind "S" curve.  Both vessels turned right to avoid the head on collision due to the narrowness of the run.  Combined with their speed and the blind curve, the vessels collided port to port causing minor damage to the sides of each vessel.  Both operators claimed the other was at fault. Lt. Wayne Williams investigated the accident, and each operator was charged and issued a boating citation for violating several inland navigational rules.

BAY COUNTY

Officer Mark Clements located a large pile of debris dumped in the Ecofina Wildlife Management Area off of Cat Creek Road.  Items in the debris lead to a subject who admitted to the violation.  A citation was issued and the debris was removed.

Officer Mark Clements was dispatched to a boating accident involving two jet skis that collided in St. Andrews Bay.  Two of the subjects involved in the accident went to a local medical clinic with minor injuries.  Officer Clements' investigation revealed one watercraft had violated the rules of navigation and ran into the other watercraft.  A citation was issued to the operator who had violated the rules.

Officers Neal Goss IV and David Erdman received word from a local National Marine Fisheries Service (NMFS) agent concerning a commercial longline vessel entering prohibited area off panhandle waters. The officers made the 40-mile run from the Panama City pass and found the vessel "Jean Marie" with gear deployed in the water. The officer's conducted an inspection and documented the catch and position of the fisherman. The case was filed under federal jurisdiction and is the first time in region history that an actual longline violation was caught in the act.

FRANKLIN

On April 7, Officers Travis Huckeba and Don Walker boarded a vessel returning to Apalachicola from a day of reef fishing.  Upon performing a vessel safety and fisheries inspection, the two officers found the occupants of the vessel to be in possession of red snapper during the closed season and undersized red snapper. Four misdemeanor citations were issued to the occupants of the vessel for the snapper violations and one infraction citation was issued for a safety equipment violation. The eight red snapper were seized.

In the early morning hours of April 8, Officers Don Walker and Travis Huckeba executed a vessel inspection on a vessel returning from a night of mullet fishing. Several hours of patience paid off for the officers as they found the three fishermen in possession of a gill/entangling net and over 600 pounds of mullet. The nets and fish were seized and 12 misdemeanor citations were issued to the fishermen.

On March 28, Officers Babauta, Wilcox and Higman worked a detail at the Goose Pasture campground in reference to complaints involving driving under the influence, all-terrain vehicles and reckless vessel operation. The officers in the covert detail observed no violations, but surveillance will continue. 

 On March 30, responding to a reckless driving complaint in the area of Goose Pasture in Aucilla Wildlife Management Area, Officer Dale Wilcox arrested an individual who was charged with driving under the influence, driving with an open container of alcoholic beverage and driving with a suspended or revoked license.  Charges are pending on the two juveniles accompanying the adult driver.