A sailboat with no power or wind drew the attention of RCMP and the U.S. Coast Guard personnel, and when a crew went to check on the boat, they found a man wanted on outstanding warrants.
On May 4, a crew of RCMP and U.S. Coast Guard personnel were conducting patrols when they came across a 26 foot white and blue sailboat west of Stuart Island.
The two male occupants were rowing the boat, and later told officers they had run out of fuel.
As officers were speaking with the occupants, the boat drifted into a shipping lane and was considered a hazard. Officers offered to tow the boat to a U.S. port, but the occupants opted to use sail power to return to Canadian waters.
Neither man was the registered owner of the boat, but at this point the sailboat had not been reported stolen and a police check revealed one man was wanted on outstanding warrants.
Once the boat returned to Canadian waters, police boarded the boat and arrested the man. The second man was allowed to continue sailing.
Later, the boat was reported as stolen from its mooring in Cadboro Bay, and the next day RCMP located the boat sailing eastward, south of Pender Island.
The remaining man was arrested for Possession of Stolen Property and Fail to Comply with his conditions, and a police found alleged stolen tools and an inflatable runabout while searching the vessel.
RCMP officers found an inflatable runabout that was alleged to be stolen. (RCMP)
“Inter-agency collaboration is vital to the effectiveness of our border operations,” said Inspector Jim Leonard, acting officer in charge of the BC RCMP Federal Serious & Organized Crime Border Integrity Program. “The mixed crews of our Shiprider program provide the flexibility and authorities required to operate seamlessly in the marine environment on both sides of the border.”
Thomas Richard Cudworth has been charged with Possession of Stolen Property Over $5000, Possession of Stolen Property Under $5000 and Breach of Undertaking. He is scheduled to appear in provincial court in Victoria on June 15, 2022.
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