Arrest Made After Stolen Boat Runs Out Of Fuel In Everglades National Park

Authorities in the Florida Keys investigating a boat theft say the alleged perpetrator has been arrested by federal authorities after being found stranded in Everglades National Park.

The Monroe County Sheriff’s Office said a 26-foot Edgewater boat was stolen from a residential dock on 85th Street in Marathon at around 7:30 a.m. Aug. 1. The boat’s owner told deputies they knew the suspect, identified as 32-year-old Dustin Southwick, and that he took the boat without permission.

The sheriff’s office quickly obtained a warrant for Southwick’s arrest, but he was not immediately located, prompting a search by law enforcement and the U.S. Coast Guard. The search ended at around 11 a.m. on Aug. 4, when a good Samaritan notified park rangers that the boat was on the shoreline in Everglades National Park.

The National Park Service found the vessel beached, and Southwick told officials it had run out of fuel, leaving him stranded.

“According to Southwick, he had been surviving on crackers, water, and electrolyte drinks while stranded,” the sheriff’s office said.

Federal authorities arrested Southwick on a charge of grand theft. The sheriff’s office said the investigation remains ongoing, and additional charges may be filed.