News crew violated port security, says Coast Guard
By Associated Press
Published November 26, 2004
JACKSONVILLE - Three members of a Jacksonville television news crew have been accused by the U.S. Coast Guard of violating a security zone along the St. Johns River while working on a story.
WTEV-Ch. 47 said it was working on a followup Monday to a story that aired Nov. 4 detailing what they said was lax security at the port.
Coast Guard officials said British Petroleum authorities reported the suspicious activity of three people in a boat with a video camera filming operations at the BP Fuel Terminal.
A Coast Guard crew located and boarded the vessel and found it was a television news crew investigating the area's maritime security. The news crew and the boat owner were questioned and told they had violated a federal security zone.
Coast Guard spokesman Dana Warr said the owner of the vessel also was cited for not having a personal floatation device and not having a charged fire extinguisher.
Susan Adams Loyd, vice president and general manager of WTEV, said the station has "absolutely broken no laws."
