Port Huron Float Down/FacebookOver one thousand American citizens managed to invade Canada at the weekend, opting to do so with a water based assault on territory belonging to their neighbours to the north.
But Canada should probably resist the urge to go full Trump and demand the erection of a great wall to keep illegal U.S. immigrants out – at America’s expense, of course – as it was all just one drunken mishap.
Every year, revellers from the States jump into rafts of varying description and float down the St. Clair River, Michigan for a day of drinking in the sunshine.
City police, OPP, Paramedics, Coast Guard & RCMP working to get "Floaters" back to boarder. pic.twitter.com/BFpxPDr7Hx
— Sarnia Police (@SarniaPolice) August 21, 2016
This year, however, the weather was so bad that hundreds were blown way off course, crossing international borders and entering Sarnia, Ontario.
As reported by BuzzFeed, it provided quite the logistical nightmare for Canadian authorities who needed to round up the accidental invaders.
Some ‘floaters’ were apparently so concerned with straying into a different country they tried to abandon ship and swim home.
It has been crazy busy. Thank you Sarnia Transit. Also thank you Esso & Lanxess. Couldn't have done it without you. pic.twitter.com/a47hmm92QS
— Sarnia Police (@SarniaPolice) August 21, 2016
Superintendent of search and rescue operations for the Canadian Coast Guard, Peter Garapick, told the Sarnia Observer:
We knew this was going to happen…There were hundreds of people along the waterfront in Sarnia…
They were terrified of coming to Canada without a passport. Those were the people we had our eye on, because they were just jumping in and saying, ‘I’m swimming back home.
There were reports of minor injuries, but the intervention of the Coast Guard to assure people they could go ashore will no doubt have helped take control of a dangerous situation.
We want to express our gratitude to the Canadian Authorities for their assistance and understanding with the floaters…
Posted by Port Huron Float Down on Sunday, August 21, 2016
The organisers of the event have since taken to social media to express their gratitude for Canada for being such a bloody hospitable nation.
Port Huron Float Down said:
We want to express our gratitude to the Canadian Authorities for their assistance and understanding with the floaters who’ve unintentionally been forced to the Canadian shoreline. You’ve shown us true kindness and what it means to be amazing neighbors!
All’s well that ends well, I guess.
