Following the Fourth of July activities in downtown Milton and particularly along the BlackwaterRiver, members of the Blackwater Pyrates, a local social civic organization, shared their concerns with the elected officials of the City of Milton during the council’s Executive Committee Meeting Monday.
“We had a lot of boater traffic, we had a lot of folks going fast,” said Ken Ponsell, who serves as Captain Fins Up for the Pyrates.
Ponsell said the boating safety concerns occurred during the organization’s Riverfest Duck Race.
“The results that we got were not what any of us want,” he said. “It was a dangerous situation for us when we were conducting the duck race.”
Ponsell told the council he was disappointed the Pyrates had to serve “as their own police officers” at the event.
The captain said many of the boaters at the event did not obey the recently placed signage along the waterway by the city.
“First of all the signs are pretty new, so a lot of folks haven’t seen them,” Ponsell said. “(The signs) are not placed in the best places.”
Ponsell said the Pyrates spoke with several law enforcement and first response agencies, including the Milton Police Department, Milton Fire Department, the Santa Rosa County Sheriff’s Office and the Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission about patrolling the waterway during such an event.
“A lot of them say they don’t have the man power and resources to help enforce whatever sign is posted that day,” he said. “With the results being what they are, it appears to me that enforcement is really going to have to take place.”
The organization’s captain suggested the council consider implementing a no wake zone between the downtown bridge crossing and train bridge, during the city’s Fourth of July celebration. Ponsell also suggests using buoys during the event to warn boaters.
Ponsell even suggested possibly deputizing some of the Pyrates to police the waterways.
“We have the resources, we have the boats and we have people that would like to have chat with folks who don’t like to follow the rules,” he said. “We are asking if we can help in anyway.”
During the meeting, Council member Jimmy Messick asked if this issue had previously been brought before a city committee. City Manager Brian Watkins said the city was previously aware of the issue and would bring it before the committee for discussion.
Captain Tony Tindell with the City of Milton’s Police Department said he’s aware of the Pyrates’ apprehension.
“They do have a valid concerns,” he said.
Even though the police department does not have a specialized marine unit, Tindell said the department plans to have a presence on the river during community events like Riverfest, Tindell does anticipate using the local fire department’s rescue vessel to provide a police presence although the patrol could change due to the staffing availability on the particular day.
Tindell said both the FWC and the local sheriff’s office patrolled the BlackwaterRiver area during last year’s Riverfest. However the units were unable to stay localized due to other calls or having mechanical issues with their vessel.
This article originally appeared on Santa Rosa Press Gazette: Pyrates seek safer waterway along Blackwater River in Milton