Boater passes out, crashes into rock embankment near Steilacoom ferry dock; nearly hits two ferries
May 5, 2026, 10:50 AM | Updated: May 6, 2026, 3:00 pm
A Pierce County Sheriff's Office vehicle. (Photo courtesy of KIRO 7)
(Photo courtesy of KIRO 7)
A man is recovering and facing charges after a terrifying boat crash took place Friday night near the Steilacoom Ferry Dock in Pierce County.
According to the Pierce County Sheriff’s Office, the 21-year-old operator was found smelling of alcohol, with bottles inside the boat. Pierce County Sheriff’s Office spokesperson Carly Capetto said the operator had passed out moments before impact.
One caller reported that the suspect nearly collided with the two ferries in his boat before it struck a large rock embankment. When the boat crashed, the driver was ejected from his seat into the water before climbing onto the rocks along the shore.
“When I responded, I was expecting to see mass trauma,” Capetto told KIRO Newsradio. “By the time I got over there, he was conscious, but trying to fall asleep.”
He was arrested for BUI.
“There was reasonable suspicion for BUI,” Capetto said. “A flatbed tow and a large wrecker had to come to remove the vessel from the water in the rocks.”
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