Thousands of Americans on floatation devices wash up on Canadian shoreline

But hundreds of people were not prepared for the strong winds and challenging weather conditions, which blew about 1,500 people out of American waters and over the border. But the winds turned it into an worldwide incident Sunday.

Officials are urging caution as thousands of people take to the St. Clair River in inflatable rafts or boats for the annual Port Huron Float Down.

The 7.5-mile Port Huron Float Down is an annual event on the river, between MI and Ontario. The Coast Guard saved about 40 people from drowning and assisted 125 more who were unable to get back to shore under their own power. “No one carries their passport or any ID, and a lot were drinking alcohol”, Peter Garapick, superintendent of search and rescue for the coast guard, told CBC television.

Some even tried to swim back to Port Huron, but the Coast Guard helped them to safety.

Sunday’s strong winds turned the annual Port Huron Float Down into an accidental worldwide expedition. Many were drunk, and most did not have identification, said Constable John Sottosanti, a spokesman for the Sarnia Police.

Rescuers towed some rafters back into USA waters, but police estimated that up to 1,500 people had to be transported on buses to the US border over a four-hour period.

“Those were the people we had our eye on, because they were just jumping in and saying, ‘I’m swimming back home, ‘” Garapick said.

“You’ve shown us true kindness and what it means to be fantastic neighbors!” the post read.

She was back in the United States within an hour, while the other 1,200 to 1,500 floaters had to deal with global bureaucracies that aren’t really developed for weekend parties gone awry. The page’s operators did not immediately respond to a request for comment.