After assessing damage that an allegedly boozy boater caused when he crashed into a dock in Aurora Harbor on Labor Day, city officials have determined that repairs will likely cost about $80,000.
Juneau Harbormaster Dave Borg said that PND Engineers examined the damaged dock after Darrin R. Hess, 51, crashed into it on Sept. 5 while driving the Nor’ Gale, a 43-foot commercial fishing vessel. Shortly after the collision, which left the dock in unstable condition, police arrested Hess and charged him with driving under the influence and refusing to take a breath test. Police took Hess to Lemon Creek Correctional Center after the crash. He has since been released.
The U.S. Coast Guard is currently investigating Hess and the collision, according to Petty Officer Jon-Paul Rios.
“We look into any cases like this but especially ones of this magnitude,” Rios said in a phone interview Thursday. “If there’s ever an issue where you’re on the water and you’re breaking the law, we’re going to investigate it.”
Before slamming into the dock, Hess played “bumper boats” with several other boats in the harbor at the time, Borg said shortly after the wreck. Neither Borg nor Rios know what the extent of the damage was to the boats Hess hit.
Borg said it is unlikely that he and his staff will be able to fully repair the dock until next year. In the meantime, his primary goal is making sure it is stable. He hopes to have this accomplished by the end of this weekend.
“We’ve got the wood; we’ve got a plan, and now we just have to wait for the weather to clear up a little bit for us,” Borg said.
• Contact reporter Sam DeGrave at 523-2279 or sam.degrave@juneauempire.com.
