Santa Rosa Man Arrested For BUI At Lake Sonoma

LAKE SONOMA, CA - A Santa Rosa man was arrested Sunday on suspicion of boating under the influence at Lake Sonoma after a man on his boat was injured while wakeboarding, a Sonoma County sheriff's sergeant said.

The sheriff's office's marine unit responded to the incident in the Dry Creek arm of the lake at 8 p.m., Sgt. Cecile Focha said.

After interviewing the boat driver, Andrew Scheff, 30, of Santa Rosa, and four other people on board the marine unit deputies learned the boat was traveling around 20 mph when the man took a hard fall off a wake, Focha said.

The man was able to swim back to the boat but complained of back pain and had a cut on his head, Focha said.

His injuries worsened on the way to the private marina at the lake where his friends called 911, Focha said.

Scheff appeared intoxicated at the marina where paramedics treated the injured man who was flown by REACH helicopter to a hospital.

A breath test determined Scheff's blood-alcohol was twice the legal limit and he was arrested for boating under the influence resulting in injury, according to authorities.

Scheff was booked in the Sonoma County Jail and is scheduled to be arraigned in Sonoma County Superior Court Friday morning, Focha said.

-Bay City News