Pennsylvania man arrested after boat crash at Captiva dock, accused of boating under the influence

A man was arrested on Monday after being accused of boating under the influence following a boat crash at the Bayside Marina dock on Captiva.

According to the Lee County Sheriff's Office arrest report, deputies responded to reports of a boat crash at around 12:33 p.m. When deputies arrived on the scene, they found a Grady-White open motorboat wedged between several dock pilings and the dock of the Bayside Marina.

Deputies noticed damage to the dock's walkway, pilings, and a utilities box.

Deputies spoke with multiple witnesses who informed them that they saw the motorboat strike a piling while attempting to enter the dock's slip, the arrest report said. The operator of the boat then reversed, nearly striking the motors of a nearby push boat, and then rapidly drove forward, causing the boat to hit and snap a piling for the slip.

The boat then struck the dock, causing the vessel to become wedged between the dock and pilings, witnesses said. The operator of the boat was ejected from the vessel.

Two witnesses exited a push boat and ran to help the operator, who attempted to get rid of a cup with an unknown liquid in it, the report said. The operator, identified as Michael Trudel, 60, of Pennsylvania, seemed uneasy on his feet, according to witnesses.

Deputies spoke with Trudel, who told them he didn't know exactly what had happened during the crash, but knew he had crashed the boat, the report said. Deputies reported smelling alcohol on Trudel's breath and observing him to have bloodshot, watery eyes.

Trudel was then asked to complete standard field sobriety exercises, which he failed, deputies said. He then provided a breath sample, which resulted in BAC readings of 0.241 and 0.247, the report said.

Trudel was placed under arrest and faces charges of boating under the influence, BUI damage to property, and was issued a citation for careless operation of a vessel.