Precedent: Indictments against three boaters suspected of sailing under the influence of alcohol

Israeli police arrested three boaters in the Gulf of Eilat on suspicion of sailing under the influence of alcohol. Their boating licenses were suspended for 30 days, and indictments are expected. One suspect refused to be tested, and two others were found with alcohol concentrations of 483 and 403 micrograms per liter of exhaled air. This is a first-of-its-kind precedent.

Israeli police arrested three boaters, in their 30s, on suspicion of operating watercraft in the Gulf of Eilat under the influence of alcohol. Among the suspects are a resident of Shefa-'Amr who refused to undergo an alcohol test and was detained for questioning, a 30-year-old resident of Nazareth who was tested with a breathalyzer and found to have a concentration of 483 micrograms of alcohol per liter of exhaled air, and a 30-year-old resident of Netanya found with a concentration of 403 micrograms. At the end of the investigation, the boating licenses of the three were suspended for 30 days. Police stated that in the coming days, the files will be transferred to the prosecution of the Ministry of Transport for the filing of indictments. This is a precedent, as it is the first time an indictment is expected for this type of offense. The police emphasize that operations against boaters under the influence will continue and call on the public to adhere to maritime safety laws.