NEWS RELEASE
THUNDER BAY POLICE SERVICE
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The Thunder Bay Police Service has laid 10 charges against the operator of a boat involved in a serious waterfront collision in August.
Police were originally dispatched to the scene of the collision shortly after 11 p.m. on Aug. 22, 2019. A boat had struck the break-wall outside the Thunder Bay Marina.
Emergency services, with the assistance of the Coast Guard, attended and rescued the six individuals who had all suffered varying degrees of injuries as a result of the collision.
Victims were transported to the Thunder Bay Regional Health Sciences Centre. One individual’s injuries were originally described as life threatening. Those injuries are no longer life threatening.
Further investigation involved members of the Thunder Bay Police Service’s Traffic and Forensic Identification Units. As a result of the ongoing investigation police were able to determine the boat operator was impaired by alcohol at the time of the collision.
On Nov. 13, 2019, Gary Joseph WENZEL, 50, of Thunder Bay was charged with Impaired Operation Causing Bodily Harm x 5 and Dangerous Operation Causing Bodily Harm x5.
He appeared in bail court Wednesday morning and was released with a future appearance date.
