A St. Joseph man is charged in a tubing accident that injured two boys on July 8.
42-year old Ryan Willis has admitted to drinking before the accident.
The criminal complaint says he was on Watab Lake in Stearns County, pulling two nine-year old boys on a tube behind a water scooter. According to authorities, Willis got too close to shore and the tube smashed into a dock.
One of the boys was critically injured, including suffering a skull fracture and had to be airlifted to Children's Hospital in Minneapolis.
The other was being treated for a possible concussion.
A field sobriety test showed Willis was over the legal limit for operating watercraft.
The Minnesota Department of Natural Resources reports that alcohol is involved in about 30% of fatal boat accidents in Minnesota. According to state laws, drunk boating is considered the same as drunk driving. The same limit of 0.08 blood-alcohol is enforced for those driving a boat and you should designate a sober ride on the water and on the road. The only difference is passengers on the water are allowed open containers.