Captain

Florida Boat Captain Charged After Weekend Incident Involving Drinking, Drugs and Gun Shots

The captain was "drinking rum from the bottle" and "scaring the crap out of all of us," a passenger said

What to Know

  • For hours, passengers said the captain refused to dock even after they paid him before they eventually called the Coast Guard.

A Florida charter captain has been arrested after authorities say he got drunk and high and threatened to shoot passengers.

Sarasota police say 36-year-old boat captain Mark Bailey got into a fight with the teenage son of one of the five passengers over the weekend. Several other passengers became involved and authorities say the argument escalated.

According to a police report, passengers said they heard Bailey fire several shots from the upper deck into the water and saw him drinking and doing drugs. For hours, passengers said the captain refused to dock even after they paid him. They eventually called the Coast Guard.

Passengers told the Sarasota Herald-Tribune they felt like hostages and, at one point, discussed a plan to overtake Bailey but felt it was too risky because he had a gun.

Bailey was charged with boating under the influence and resisting arrest.

Copyright AP - Associated Press
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