Coast Guard Catches Suspected Yacht Thief In Honolulu Harbor

A man is facing charges for allegedly stealing a yacht in Hawaii on Friday, after he was apprehended by the U.S. Coast Guard.

Watchstanders at Coast Guard Sector Honolulu were alerted at around 4:34 p.m. Friday that a 43-foot yacht was “driving erratically” in Honolulu Harbor, violating the permanent security zone near Piers 6-11 and potentially endangering other boaters.

The owner of a vessel matching the yacht’s description also called the Coast Guard to report his boat had been stolen from Kewalo Basin Harbor.

The Coast Guard halted marine traffic in and out of Honolulu Harbor and launched a boat crew to meet the yacht. When the crew informed the operator of the security zone, he left the harbor “at a high rate of speed.”

A video shared by the Coast Guard shows the boat crew pursuing the yacht, which ultimately stopped. The Coast Guard crew boarded the vessel and detained the man.

The crew towed the yacht to shore and transferred the suspect to awaiting officers from the Honolulu Police Department and State of Hawaii Sheriff Division.

The man was arrested on charges of theft in the first degree, unauthorized control of a propelled vehicle in the first degree, and criminal property damage in the first degree.

The incident remains under investigation.