OCEAN CITY, Md. - An Ocean City man was sentenced to 18 months in the Worcester County Detention Center after being convicted of causing life-threatening injury while operating a vessel impaired by alcohol.
Charles Richter, 74, was sentenced April 27 by Worcester County Circuit Court Judge Beau H. Oglesby. The charges stem from a distress call received June 22, 2024, regarding a possible drowning near the Isle of Wight Bay and the Route 90 bridge in Ocean City.
The Ocean City Fire Department, emergency medical services and officers with the Natural Resources Police responded to the area. When they arrived, they saw witnesses helping a woman who appeared to be unconscious on the shore.
A further police investigation found that Richter had consumed multiple alcoholic beverages before operating the jet ski. He failed field sobriety tests and later submitted to a breath test showing he still had a blood alcohol content of .07 several hours after operating the jet ski. (Worcester County)
The woman was taken to TidalHealth, where she remained in the intensive care unit for several days. She died June 30, 2024.
Police identified the woman’s husband as Richter, who they located at the scene showing signs of alcohol impairment. Richter told police that he and his wife had been returning home on his jet ski after visiting a local bar when he hit a wave, causing his wife to fall off the vessel and into the bay.
According to the Worcester County State’s Attorney’s Office, Richter was unable to get his wife back on the jet ski and instead dragged her through choppy waters and large swells toward shore by her life vest, causing her to inhale water.
Witnesses on a nearby vessel heard the woman say she could not breathe and watched her slip out of her life vest and become fully submerged. The witnesses responded to Richter’s jet ski, found the woman and brought her to shore, where lifesaving measures were performed.
A further police investigation found that Richter had consumed multiple alcoholic beverages before operating the jet ski. He failed field sobriety tests and later submitted to a breath test showing he still had a blood alcohol content of .07 several hours after operating the jet ski.
Worcester County State’s Attorney Kris Heiser commended the good Samaritan witnesses and first responders who acted quickly to help the victim.Â
