Port Huron Float Down Event Participants Cross International Waters

World News Rudolph Rodriquez
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Over one thousand Americans accidentally crossed the international border after strong winds took their rafts and boats to Canada. The boaters were participants of the Float Down event (a yearly event on St. Clair River). The event took place at Port Huron, the demarcation between Michigan and Canada.

Police Officers in Sarnia, Ontario, reported that it took hours just to transport the stranded individuals back into the United States on Sunday. There weren’t any arrests made and no one got injured. It is important to note that the event is not sanctioned by the government. It involves participants joyfully floating down the river on their rafts, inner tubes, and many other flotation devices. It begins at Port Huron’s Lighthouse beach, Michigan and ends at Chrysler beach in Marysville.

On this occasion, however, hundreds of people were not properly prepared for the challenging weather conditions. A strong wind blew about 1,500 citizens over the border. One of Sarnia Police Staff, Sgt. Scott Clarke said that participants “were not prepared to be stranded and many of them weren’t putting on life jackets,”

“It was a nightmare, but everyone involved got through it,” Mr. Clarke said. “They waited in long lines, cold, wet and tired, but they all got home safely.” Canadian officials spent over six hours and took 19 buses loaded with people back to the United States and dropped them at Customs and Border Protection.

Sarnia spokesperson, Katarina Ovens, said that workers spent a long time cleaning up after the accident. United States Coast Guard has made attempts to work with officials at Port Huron to sanction the event, although no sponsors have taken any responsibility for the incident, according to a statement from United States Coast Guard Lt Ben Chamberlain. Deputy Sheriff at Clair County, Steve Campau also confirmed that all the participants have been accounted for.