Good Samaritan Helps Officers Rescue Crabber; Police Arrest Two for Impaired Boating

Maryland Natural Resources Police corral a runaway crab boat on the Wicomico as well as arrest two impaired boaters.

A good Samaritan and four officers teamed up Wednesday morning to rescue a crabber who fell overboard and chase down and corral his runaway boat on the Wicomico River in St. Mary’s County.

Officers got the call at 9:25 a.m. from a witness who saw Todd Wesley Thompson, 51, of King George, Va., tumble into the river from his 22-foot C-Hawk.

Making matters worse: As he slipped and went overboard while tending his trotline, Thompson struck the throttle, sending the boat into a high-speed circle. Thompson was trapped inside the circling boat and had to keep pushing himself away from it.

Timing his approach, the good Samaritan swooped in and pulled the exhausted Thompson aboard as he was about to go under.

Officers tracked his boat, traveling about 15 knots, and began trying to foul the propeller with life jackets and line. After countless attempts, they slowed the boat enough so that an officer could board and stop it.

Thompson was checked by local medical personnel and released.

Officers arrested two men last weekend in separate incidents and charged them with impaired boating.

Timothy Shawn Whistead, 51, of Annapolis, was stopped by officers near Tolly Point at the mouth of the Severn River for operating his boat at night without proper navigational lights.

Officers noticed a strong smell of alcohol and that Whistead was slurring his words and was, at times, incoherent. Aboard, they found open cans of beer and bottles of alcohol.

Ashore, Whistead failed all field sobriety tests and was charged with negligent operation and four counts of impaired boating. He must appear in Anne Arundel District Court to answer the charges. His court date is Sept. 16.

Donald Lee Hartley, 50, of Centreville, was stopped on the Patapsco River near Fort Smallwood Park for operating his boat at night without proper navigational lights.

He acknowledged he had been drinking and officers saw an open liquor bottle and an open beer can next to the operating console. Taken to shore, Hartley failed field sobriety tests and was arrested. He was issued four citations for negligent boating and operating while impaired.

Hartley must appear in Anne Arundel District Court to answer the charges. His court date is Aug. 19.