Sarnia-Lambton MP frustrated with river float down event

Having thousands of people float down the bustling St. Clair River in one big convoy of partiers has become an immigration concern for Marilyn Gladu, the ConservativeMP for Sarnia-Lambton.

After watching 1,500 Americans unexpectedly land on Canadian shores Sundaymany with no identification and no moneyGladuwants to see significant changes to the annual and unsanctioned Port Huron Float Down event.

• Canadian Coast Guard spent $21K to rescue partying wayward Americans

A large portiong of the tubing party ended up in Canada after high winds blew them across the river, which separates Port Huron, Mich., and Sarnia in southwestern Ontario. A massive rescue ensued as many Americans were eventually bused home on transit buses.

Gladuhas discussed the event with rescue groups on both sides of the border. Many of them share her concern that the event needs to be better organized, particularly because landing on foreign shores without identification is illegal.

"They could be arrested, they could be fined, they could be sent back at their own expense," she said. "I'm not trying to be a killjoy...but I think people need to keep public safety in the forefront and recognize that there is a lot of risk."

'This is a dangerous event'

The Canadian Coast Guard, City of Sarniaand the Canadian Border Services Agencyspent a combined $33,856 on the rescue. The overallcost is likelymuch higher when factoring in other groups like the OPP, RCMP and the U.S. Coast Guard.

Public safety is the primary concern for several rescue groups on both sides of the border, according to Gladuwho contacted those groups this week, including the Canadian and U.S. coast guards.

Those groups said 40 people had to be pulled from the water and treated for hypothermia. She also had discussions with Canada's Immigration Minister and Public Safety Minister.

"This is a dangerous event," she said. "It's a huge drain on resources. The list of people who had to get involved [in the rescue], it's huge."

Some tried to swim home

Some of the drifting Americans furiously tried to avoid landing on foreign shores without identification, thinking they could land themselves in trouble with the law.

The Canadian Coast Guard reported seeing many people abandon their tubes and inflatable rafts in a daring attempt to swim back to U.S. shores.

Ernie Jacobs had a friend who tried just that, though he didn't get far.

"The Coast Guard intercepted him and plucked him out of the water," Jacobs said. "They brought him back to Canada."

Landing on foreign shores was afrighteningexperiencefor Laura Hurst of Commerce,Mich. She remembersbeing told before last year's Float Down to make sure you don't drift over to the Canadian side.

"None of us had...any kind ofidentification whatsoever," she said. "You can't just land in another country. I guess the thought is:you'regoing toget locked up."

Renee Salisbury and her husband wound up in Canada on Sunday, during their first ever Float Down trip. Salisbury is grateful for the Canadian response, particularly getting a ride from a city transit bus and police escort back to the border.

"Everybody was so thoughtful and kind and treated us with nothing but respect," she said. "My husband and I are very appreciative for that, considering it could have been totally different consequences given that it's a federal offence."

Going home without ID

Getting back into the U.S. was yet another eerie experience for those who didn't have identification.

Salisbury and her husband had their drivers'licenceswith them, so they were able to clear security easily. Other people weren't so lucky, arriving at the border with identification nowhere to be found in theirbathing suits.

For those who didn't have identification, border security officers grouped people together, wrote their names down and then checked those batches of names in their database.

"It was still scary even coming back into our own country, knowing this is where I live, but I don't have any proof,"Hurst said.

She said seven or eight border officers were clearing groups through at about 30-minute intervals.

U.S. Customs and Border Protection processed an estimated 1,300 Americans from the Float Down event. Officialsworked with Canadian Border Services Agency to get people home as quickly as possible, according to a spokesmanfrom U.S. Customs.

"Thanks in part to our close working relationship and continued cooperation withCBSAall participants were processed expeditiously through CBP," Kris Grogan wrote in an email.