Maryland Natural Resources Police Blotter

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Calvert County – Maryland Natural Resources Police (NRP) continue to search for a missing boater on the Patuxent River near Solomons. On Sunday, Oct. 12, at 4:54 p.m., NRP was notified of an overturned vessel on the Patuxent River in the area of Point Patience. A 38-foot speedboat with four persons onboard, traveling at a high rate of speed, capsized. All four individuals were ejected from the vessel. None of the individuals were wearing life jackets. Three of the occupants were rescued from the water by boaters and anglers in the area at the time of the accident. Robert T. Baumgarten, 30, of Lexington Park was transported to Prince George’s Hospital Center. Kenneth N. Weisskopf, 37, and Joshua E. Reithmeyer, 25, both of Mechanicsville were transported to Calvert Memorial Hospital. The fourth individual, Patrick G. Reiter, 39, of Mechanicsville is reported missing. Search efforts concluded at 10:30 p.m. Sunday night. The search for Reiter resumed today at 6 a.m. The incident is still under investigation. Numerous fire departments from Calvert, Charles and St. Mary’s Counties and the U.S. Coast Guard assisted NRP with the incident.

St. Mary’s County – On Wednesday, Oct. 8, at 7 p.m., the Maryland Natural Resources Police charged Gustav A. Mullins, 32, of Nanjemoy with operating a vessel while under the influence of alcohol on the Wicomico River near Bushwood Cove. NRP responded to the area after receiving a report of a vessel taking on water with two children onboard. Mullins was transported to the Maryland State Police Leonardtown Barrack for processing and charged with operating a vessel while under the influence of alcohol, operating a vessel while impaired by alcohol. He was released to a sober and responsible individual.

St. Mary’s County – On Thursday, Oct. 9, the Maryland Natural Resources Police charged Joseph Bruce Janda Jr., 22, of Wittman with two counts of possession of undersized oysters. Janda was harvesting oysters commercially in the area of Town Creek on the Patuxent River when NRP stopped and checked his catch. Janda was also charged with failure to have Tidal Fish License available for inspection and insufficient number of fire extinguishers onboard his vessel. A court date of December 12 has been scheduled for Janda in St. Mary’s County District Court.

Worcester County – On Saturday, Oct. 11, at 7:15 p.m., the Maryland Natural Resources Police charged William J. Conolly, 58, of Schwenksville, Pa. with operating a vessel while under the influence of alcohol in the Isle of Wight Bay, near Drum Island. NRP responded to the area after receiving a report of a vessel that had run aground. Conolly was transported to the Maryland State Police Berlin Barrack for processing and charged with operating a vessel while under the influence of alcohol, operating a vessel while impaired by alcohol and negligent operation of a vessel. He was released on his signature.

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October 13, 2008

Contact: Sgt. Ken Turner 410-260-8003 office kturner@dnr.state.md.us

The Maryland Natural Resources Police (NRP) is the enforcement arm of the Department of Natural Resources (DNR). With an authorized strength of 280 officers and a dedicated staff of civilian and volunteer personnel, the NRP provide a variety of services in addition to conservation and boating law enforcement duties throughout the State of Maryland. These services include homeland security, search and rescue, emergency medical services, education, information and communications services on a round the clock basis. NRP is the only police force aside from the Maryland State Police that has statewide jurisdiction.

The Maryland Department of Natural Resources is the state agency responsible for providing natural and living resource-related services to citizens and visitors. DNR manages nearly one-half million acres of public lands and 17,000 miles of waterways, along with Maryland's forests, fisheries and wildlife for maximum environmental, economic and quality of life benefits. A national leader in land conservation, DNR-managed parks and natural, historic and cultural resources attract 12 million visitors annually. DNR is the lead agency in Maryland's effort to restore the Chesapeake Bay, the state's number one environmental priority. Learn more at www.dnr.maryland.gov