Dominion Energy lake management rep accused of boating under the influence on Lake Murray
As a thunderstorm began to roll across Lake Murray on Aug. 6, South Carolina Department of Natural Resource officers responded to a report about an apparently drunk boater at the Lighthouse Marina.
Pulling up at the gas dock, DNR officers encountered a man at the helm of a pontoon boat unsteady on his feet, distracted, slurring and smelling of alcohol, according to a DNR incident report obtained by The State. He identified himself as John Daniel Adams, a senior lake management representative for Dominion Energy, the power company that owns the lake.
“I gave y’all the permit for this dock,” Adams told one of the DNR officers, according to the report. “We own this lake.”
Adams, who has been employed as a lake management representative since 2013, was charged with boating under the influence. Court records show that he was also charged with not having either a throwable flotation device or a “sound device,” like a whistle or horn, which are required on boats in South Carolina.
While there is no law against operating a boat with an open container of alcohol in South Carolina, it is illegal to operate a motor or sailboat while impaired. Punishments for boating under the influence range from a $200 fine and as many as 30 days in jail for a first offense to up to three years in jail for a third offense.
The State was not able to reach Adams for comment. Adams’ attorney, Nick Riley, said that they had “no comment regarding the substantive allegations.”
“We respect the criminal justice system,” said Riley, who emphasized that they looked forward to participating in the legal process and availing themselves of all defenses available.
Dominion Energy representative Rhonda O’Banion would not say whether Adams was still employed by Dominion, stating the company was unable to provide information about personnel matters.
Adams was not on the clock as a Dominion employee at the time of the alleged incident and the boat did not belong to Dominion, O’Banion said.
Dominion Energy owns Lake Murray and is responsible for managing shoreline use, including public parks and commercial docks.
A little after 4 p.m. on Aug. 6, the DNR officers arrived at the Lighthouse Marina’s gas dock on the Richland County side of Lake Murray. According to an incident report obtained by The State Media Co., they had received information from Richland County Marine Patrol about an impaired boater, who had possibly been operating his boat before docking for gas.
Pulling up at the marina, the officers noticed an individual matching the description they were given operating a pontoon boat with a faded registration decal. When officers asked to speak with the man, the report noted that he appeared unsteady on his feet despite being in the calm water of a “no wake” zone, the report said.
The report said the man identified himself as Adams, and said he worked for Dominion and managed the lake. He insisted, despite the smell of alcohol on him, that he’d only had “about two” drinks, according the report.
With thunder and lightning brewing in the distance, the officers attempted to take Adams inside to complete a sobriety test.
“I’m not moving,” Adams said when Officer Brian Hoover tried to help him out of the boat, according to the report. He began making repeated calls on his cellphone, demanding that the person on the other end get “a (Dominion) board member or someone from DNR on the phone and make this stop now.”
The report said that Adams, who at one point needed help putting on a life jacket, only agreed to go into the office when an unknown person on speakerphone told him that there was nothing they could do and that he should cooperate.
Once inside, Officer Samantha Thornton administered a sobriety test. At one point, while being asked to keep his eyes on a “stimulus” that Thornton was holding as part of a common sobriety test, Adams asked why the officer’s hand was shaking. She replied that her hand was not shaking, according to the report. The officers determined that they had probable cause to arrest Adams for boating under the influence.
Adams was booked at the Alvin S. Glenn Detention Center in Richland County, where he refused to take a breathalyzer sample. His bond was set at $465.
He was convicted of two prior DUIs, in 2001 and 2004, according to court records.
On his LinkedIn page, Adams states that part of his responsibilities as a lake management representative is “assuring and enjoyable and safe recreation platform” at Lake Murray.
This story was originally published September 11, 2022 at 5:00 AM.