ANNAPOLIS (Oct. 13, 2008) - The Maryland Natural Resources Police (NRP) today released the following incident and arrest reports. NRP is the enforcement arm of the Department of Natural Resources (DNR). NRP is the only police force aside from the Maryland State Police that has statewide jurisdiction.
MISSING BOATER: Maryland Natural Resources Police (NRP) continue to search for a missing boater on the Patuxent River near Solomons.
On Sunday, Oct. 12, at 4:54 p.m., NRP was notified of an overturned vessel on the Patuxent River in the area of Point Patience. A 38-foot speedboat with four persons onboard, traveling at a high rate of speed, capsized. All four individuals were ejected from the vessel. None of the individuals were wearing life jackets. Three of the occupants were rescued from the water by boaters and anglers in the area at the time of the accident.
Robert T. Baumgarten, 30, of Lexington Park was transported to Prince George’s Hospital Center. Kenneth N. Weisskopf, 37, and Joshua E. Reithmeyer, 25, both of Mechanicsville were transported to Calvert Memorial Hospital. The fourth individual, Patrick G. Reiter, 39, of Mechanicsville is reported missing.
Search efforts concluded at 10:30 p.m. Sunday night. The search for Reiter resumed today at 6 a.m. The incident is still under investigation.
Numerous fire departments from Calvert, Charles and St. Mary’s Counties and the U.S. Coast Guard assisted NRP with the incident.
DUI BOATING: On Wednesday, Oct. 8, at 7 p.m., the Maryland Natural Resources Police charged Gustav A. Mullins, 32, of Nanjemoy with operating a vessel while under the influence of alcohol on the Wicomico River near Bushwood Cove.
NRP responded to the area after receiving a report of a vessel taking on water with two children onboard. Mullins was transported to the Maryland State Police Leonardtown Barrack for processing and charged with operating a vessel while under the influence of alcohol, operating a vessel while impaired by alcohol. He was released to a sober and responsible individual.
POSSESSION OF UNDERSIZED OYSTERS: On Thursday, Oct. 9, the Maryland Natural Resources Police charged Joseph Bruce Janda Jr., 22, of Wittman with two counts of possession of undersized oysters.
Janda was harvesting oysters commercially in the area of Town Creek on the Patuxent River when NRP stopped and checked his catch. Janda was also charged with failure to have Tidal Fish License available for inspection and insufficient number of fire extinguishers onboard his vessel. A court date of December 12 has been scheduled for Janda in St. Mary’s County District Court.