Canadian authorities herd USA rafters onto buses back to the United States after an illegal rafting event Sunday down the St. Clair River.
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Some 1,500 Americans were riding along the St. Clair River on Sunday, which separates MI from Ontario, Canada, when heavy rains and winds deflated many of their rafts and inner tubes, Reuters reports. It involves participants joyfully floating down the river on their rafts, inner tubes, and many other flotation devices.
Over six hours on Sunday, Sarnia Transit buses shuttled 19 loads of American boaters back across the border. Some of the celebrants who washed ashore Sunday were seemingly aware of these policies and tried to swim back to the United States but were stopped by authorities. Instead, they ended up across the river in Sarnia, Ontario, Canada.
“They were terrified of entering another country without documentation”, Garapick said.
A Customs and Border Protection boat helps floaters after they were blown towards the Canada shore.
While authorities brought in the stranded participants, floaters could be heard shouting things like “God bless, Canada!” and “Thank you, Canada!” in a CBC video.
Police said it took hours for a bus service, Sarnia Transit, to transport approximately 1,500 USA citizens back to MI.
On its Facebook page, the Sarnia Police Department posted that “it got a little insane”, but that everything worked out in the end.
Satryb said it took about an hour to get back across the river.
The Port Huron Float Down doesn’t usually result in an global incident.
Ernie Jacobs posted a video of himself and a group of partying pals being towed back to the United States on YouTube.
Canadian police across the river in Sarnia have long condemned the rafting event as risky and unusually hazardous because of the fast moving water and the large number of participants who don’t use life jackets.
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A Facebook page for the event – which lists no organizers for the illegal parade – thanked Canadian authorities for demonstrating “true kindness and what it means to be fantastic neighbors!”
