A boating accident sent one man to the hospital Wednesday afternoon and later to jail. Department of Marine Resources spokesperson Lisa Jones said Wednesday that a boating accident was reported about 4:20 p.m. Wednesday near Highway 603 off Semeru Street.
When officers arrived, they discovered that a small fishing boat had run aground and two men, Robert Nations, 31, of Bay St. Louis and Shawn Murphy, 23, of Picayune, had been ejected from it, Jones said.
Motorists on Highway 603 stopped and assisted the men and called 911, Jones said.
One of the passengers was taken to the hospital with “non life-threatening” injuries and the other refused medical treatment, officials said.
The boat was apparently taking off from a slip along a small canal at the Four Dollar Bayou, which is a tributary of the Jourdan River.
The throttle apparently jammed as the men were taking off and the boat was launched across the marsh and onto the highway shoulder, officials said.
The boat landed about 50 feet from the highway and both men were thrown from it after the impact, officials said.
Jones said Nations has been charged with boating under the influence, and disorderly conduct.
He posted a $1,000 bond and was released from custody, jail records show.
DMR officers Bryce Gex and Mike Yonce investigated the crash because it took place over a waterway, Jones said.
The Bay St. Louis police and fire departments also responded to the scene.
BY: Dwayne Bremer
The Sea Coast Echo
