Minnesota boaters survive pontoon boat plunge over dam

WABASHA COUNTY, Minn. (KARE/NBC News) – Minnesota authorities are considering possible boating-while-intoxicated charges against an operator whose boat spilled over a power dam at Lake Zumbro with three passengers on board.

Chief Deputy Jim Warren of the Wabasha County Sheriff’s Office says the driver was arrested and released after the incident Saturday night.

In a phone conversation with NBC affilliate KARE, the driver claims to have blown below the legal limit.

One passenger jumped off immediately before the drop and swam to safety, while the other three essentially rode the boat down the 55-foot dam before coming to a rest just feet from dangerous rushing water.

Regardless of how the legal process plays out, Warren described the driver and three passengers’ survival as “remarkable.”