There have been a handful of American boaters who have been fined for violating the Quarantine Act and entering Canadian waters since the start of COVID-19.
The latest violator took it a bit further, however, and was arrested for his actions earlier on Sunday.
According to the RCMP, the 49-year-old Bellingham man boated into Canadian waters and proceeded to pick up his 50-year-old Canadian girlfriend from Elgin Park Marina in Surrey.
A short time later, RCMP members with the ShipRider program found the pair in the man’s Seasport cabin cruiser anchored in the Crescent Beach Channel near Blackie Spit.
“The man had failed to report his crossing into Canada and did not meet the entry requirements under the current quarantine restrictions,” said an RCMP release.
Officers searched the vessel and confirmed the trip was simply personal in nature, but that didn’t make it any less illegal.
The American man was arrested under the Customs Act, fined $1,000 for violating the Quarantine Act and his boat was seized.
He was released with no further charges, but required to pay another $1,000 to get his boat back and required to leave Canada immediately.
The woman was taken to the nearby Crescent Beach Marina and given a ride back to her vehicle.
According to the RCMP, she plans on self-isolating and will get tested for COVID-19 if she experiences any symptoms over the next 14 days.
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