Dundalk Boater Killed In Crash: Police

DUNDALK, MD — Officials said a Dundalk boater died over the weekend in a crash near Sparrows Point. The boat hit a day marker, and the man went overboard around 10 p.m. on Friday, according to Maryland Natural Resources Police.

A day marker is a navigational aid that is in place to direct boaters.

Robert Allen Dorrier, 47, of Dundalk, was not wearing a life jacket at the time of the deadly crash, officials said.

Dorrier's wife, who was also on the 20-foot boat, called police at 10:26 p.m. Friday to report her husband had been ejected after the vessel hit the day marker near Old Road Bay, according to Natural Resources Police spokeswoman Candy Thomson.

Baltimore County divers recovered Dorrier's body at approximately 2 a.m. Saturday, Maryland Natural Resources Police reported. Thomson said it was under about 7 feet of water.

The body was taken to the Office of the Chief Medical Examiner for an autopsy and toxicology tests, according to Thomson. Maryland Natural Resources Police officials continue to investigate.

Seven people have died so far in boating-related incidents in 2018, Thomson said. None of the victims was wearing a life jacket.

Over the Memorial Day weekend, a Severna Park man died around 2 a.m. on May 27 after his boat his a marker around Kent Narrows.

Safety Reminders From Baltimore County's Marine Unit

News of the fatality near Dundalk came about a week after the county held a boating safety event in the area.

The number of boating deaths in Baltimore County in 2015 led one staffer to suggest the creation of the boating safety day, according to Sgt. Robert Bouder of the Baltimore County Police Department's marine unit. This year the county's third annual Boating Safety Day was held on June 2 at Wilson Point Park in Middle River to raise awareness about the rules of the water.

"Back in 2015, the state of Maryland reported its largest amount of boating deaths..." Bouder recalled.

More than 20 boating deaths were reported that year, and of those, Bouder said six were in Baltimore County alone.

Bouder reminded boaters of the following boater safety requirements:

• All boats are required to have a personal flotation device for each person on the vessel.
• A fire extinguisher is another required piece of equipment. It must be fully charged and not expired.
• Another must: A throw bag or device like a ring that could be thrown to someone overboard.

The Baltimore County Police Department includes a marine unit that patrols the waterways and conducts search-and-rescue missions, Bouder said. He was speaking on the June 1 episode of "Police Report," a show the department produces to highlight different initiatives.

The county's marine unit operates three primary patrol vessels, one cabin vessel for year-round use and tactical inflatable boats for the smaller waterways and reservoirs in the county, Bouder said.

Life jackets are required for every passenger on a boat. Photo by Dan Kitwood/Getty Images.