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.
Field sobriety test showed he was over the legal limit for operating watercraft





