Edmonton police charge man in connection to Whitemud Creek boating incident
Posted September 8, 2023 1:33 pm.
Edmonton police have identified and charged one man in connection to a dangerous boating incident that took place in south Edmonton in July.
EPS say on July 5, an investigation into a boating incident began after police and park rangers received multiple complaints of a powerboat being operated recklessly on Whitemud Creek.
Following the incident, CityNews spoke to Wayne Oakes, who spends a lot of time in the Whitemud Creek. At the time, he said he’d captured other jetboats ripping through the creek at fast speeds.
“When I saw that video, I couldn’t believe how close the jetboat actually came to the single canoeist,” said Wayne Oakes, photographer.
“A small creek like this, in my humble opinion, is not a place for that kind of opinion,” he explained. “This portion of the creek is deceiving in that it is very wide, and the water is quite deep because of the high level of the North Saskatchewan River. But the further you go up the creek, it gets way more narrow and the volume diminishes significantly.
In a video that surfaced, the boat could be seen racing past and narrowly missing people in a canoe that managed to pull off to the side.
No sound because I was actively on the phone reporting these guys and apparently my phone doesn't like to multitask. They didn't know we were here: if we hadn't pulled off just the moment earlier when we heard them coming, we probably would've been crushed. pic.twitter.com/D3l2HbtQeH
— Chris On A Bike (@ChrisOnABikeYEG) June 24, 2023
In a statement Friday, Edmonton police say during the incident in early July, “The powerboat continued down the creek at a high rate of speed until it hit a downed tree in the water. The powerboat was forced ashore and became immobilized until the occupants exited the vessel and freed it. They then got back in and continued down the creek. Fortunately, no one was injured.”
Through the investigation, EPS identified the driver of the boat as 26-year-old Colton Goodkey. He has since been charged with dangerous operation of a conveyance.
“We are grateful for those who provided video of this incident as it really put the level of danger into perspective,” says Acting Detective Ben Davis from the EPS Investigative Response Team. “The risk of serious injury or death to those who were out on the water at the time was a real possibility and totally unnecessary.
The Edmonton Police Service Marine Units and Park Ranger Marine Unit are still investigating the incident, and ask if anyone has any additional information to contact investigators at 780-423-4567 or Crime Stoppers at 1-800-222-8477.
