Canada Escorts 1,500 Illegal Rafters Back to US

The annual parade of rafters was blown ashore by high winds, authorities said

Canadian authorities said Monday that the Coast Guard and police in Sarnia, in southwestern Ontario, had to rescue almost 1,500 U.S. citizens Sunday after their rafts, boats and inner tubes were blown ashore by high winds.

Sarnia police said there were no significant injuries in the rescue operation, which was made necessary when brisk winds sabotaged the Port Huron Float Down, an annual unlicensed cavalcade of small watercraft down the St. Clair River separating Canada and the United States.

Once they had been plucked back onto dry land, the partiers were bused across the border back to the United States — with a full police escort.

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