yacht overturned by wave

Man who was saved by Coast Guard during harrowing rescue stole the yacht he was piloting, Astoria police say

• Updated: Jan. 03, 2024, 2:36 p.m.
• | Published: Feb. 03, 2023, 4:38 p.m.

In this photo provided by the U.S. Coast Guard Pacific Northwest, a Coast Guard rescue swimmer reaches a boat right before a giant wave rolled the craft at the mouth of the Columbia River. The newly minted Coast Guard rescue swimmer saved the life of a man who was piloting the yacht. (Turcotte/U.S Coast Guard via AP) AP

• The Associated Press

A newly minted Coast Guard rescue swimmer saved a man’s life Friday at the mouth of the Columbia River between Oregon and Washington state just after a giant wave rolled the yacht he was piloting and threw him into the surf.

In an odd twist to the heroic story, Astoria police said Friday evening that the man who was rescued stole the yacht .

• Police arrest man they say left dead fish at Astoria’s ‘Goonies’ house, stole yacht and prompted harrowing Coast Guard rescue

Video from a Coast Guard helicopter captured part of the dramatic save. Petty Officer Michael Clark says the agency received a mayday call at about 10 a.m., with no additional information.

The agency was able to triangulate roughly where the call was coming from, and Coast Guard crews on vessels and in a helicopter who happened to be training nearby responded. They found the 35-feet yacht, the P/C Sandpiper, taking on water in 20-foot seas — meaning the height of a wave from the previous trough could be as much as 40 feet, Clark said.

The rescue swimmer — who was on his first rescue just after graduating from the Coast Guard’s rescue swimmer program — was lowered from the helicopter by a cable. As he neared the vessel, the man on board climbed onto the stern, preparing to get into the water.

But just then a huge wave slammed the boat, throwing him into the surf. The wave struck so violently that the vessel rolled completely over and wound up floating upright.

The swimmer managed to locate the man in the surf and pulled him to safety aboard the MH-60 Jayhawk helicopter. The crew brought him to Coast Guard Base Astoria, where medics treated him for mild hypothermia.

“It’s a bit of a christening for a new rescue swimmer,” Clark said.

The swimmer’s name was not immediately released. Astoria police identified the man who was rescued as Jericho Labonte, 35. He is wanted by Canadian police and, after today’s incident, by Astoria police for allegedly stealing the yacht, said Astoria police chief Stacy Kelly.

The mouth of the Columbia, the largest North American river that flows into the Pacific Ocean, has such notoriously rough seas that it is known as “the graveyard of the Pacific.”

In this photo provided by the U.S. Coast Guard Pacific Northwest, a Coast Guard ship, left, attempts to a rescue a distressed yacht at the mouth of the Columbia River . A newly minted Coast Guard rescue swimmer saved the life of a man who was piloting the yacht. ( Kyle Turcotte/U.S. Coast Guard via AP) AP

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Caught On Camera: Huge Wave Flips Yacht During A Dramatic Rescue in US

The video shows the rescue swimmer battling strong waves and saving the man onboard..

The boat was about six miles (10km) from land

A terrifying video has surfaced on the internet which shows a monster wave flipping and rolling a yacht off the Pacific coast in the US. The video shows a coastguard attempting to rescue a man onboard when a giant wave overturned a boat, BBC reported.

A rescue swimmer was seen attempting to reach the yacht. The Independent reported that he was deployed to the water using a winch cable, but as he approached, a breaking wave capsized the vessel, throwing the man in. The video shows the rescue swimmer battling strong waves and saving the man onboard who was then taken to a nearby hospital.

USCG Pacific Northwest originally shared the video on Twitter. "Talk about arriving in the nick of time! While conducting a training mission at the mouth of the Columbia River, 2 Coast Guard aircrews received a #MAYDAY broadcast from the master of the P/C Sandpiper," the caption read.

"After notifying watchstanders at Sector Columbia River who launched motor lifeboats from STA Cape Disappointment, the aircrews arrived on scene to find the vessel floundering in the surf! The surf made rescue by boat dangerous, so the aircrew decided to lower the rescue swimmer and have the owner enter the water for rescue As he entered the water the vessel capsized but the rescue swimmer was able to safely recover the individual. He was flown back to Coast Guard Base Astoria where EMS was waiting to evaluate and treat the man," it added.

Watch the video here:

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(2/4)…who launched motor life boats from STA Cape Disappointment, the air crews arrived on scene to find the vessel floundering in the surf! The surf made rescue by boat dangerous, so the aircrew decided to lower the rescue swimmer and have the owner enter the water for rescue… pic.twitter.com/z92WvzpTG9 — USCGPacificNorthwest (@USCGPacificNW) February 3, 2023

The boat was about six miles (10km) from land, at the mouth of the Columbia River in the northwest of the country, according to BBC.

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Breaking news, new coast guard swimmer saves man’s life after wave rolls yacht.

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ASTORIA, Ore. — A newly minted Coast Guard rescue swimmer saved a man’s life Friday at the mouth of the Columbia River between Oregon and Washington state just after a giant wave rolled the yacht he was piloting and threw him into the surf.

Video from a Coast Guard helicopter  captured part of the dramatic save. Petty Officer Michael Clark says the agency received a mayday call at about 10 a.m., with no additional information.

The agency was able to triangulate roughly where the call was coming from, and Coast Guard crews on vessels and in a helicopter who happened to be training nearby responded. They found the 35-feet (11-meter) yacht, the P/C Sandpiper, taking on water in 20-foot (6-meter) seas — meaning the height of a wave from the previous trough could be as much as 40 feet (12 meters), Clark said.

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The rescue swimmer — who was on his first rescue just after graduating from the Coast Guard’s rescue swimmer program — was lowered from the helicopter by a cable. As he neared the vessel, the man on board climbed onto the stern, preparing to get into the water.

But just then a huge wave slammed the boat, throwing him into the surf. The wave struck so violently that the vessel rolled completely over and wound up floating upright.

The swimmer managed to locate the man in the surf and pulled him to safety aboard the MH-60 Jayhawk helicopter. The crew brought him to Coast Guard Base Astoria, where medics treated him for mild hypothermia.

“It’s a bit of a christening for a new rescue swimmer,” Clark said.

The swimmer’s name was not immediately released, nor was that of the man who was rescued.

The mouth of the Columbia, the largest North American river that flows into the Pacific Ocean, has such notoriously rough seas that it is known as “the graveyard of the Pacific.”

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VIDEO: Wave completely flips boat in dramatic Coast Guard rescue

A huge wave completely flips a sinking boat while a Coast Guard swimmer is trying to rescue those aboard in a dramatic video shared on social media.

Video shows the wave striking both the 35-foot boat, named P/C Sandpiper, as well as the rescuer, who was still in the water nearby trying to reach it. 

The incident took place on Friday about six miles into the Pacific Ocean west of the Columbia River, according to a Coast Guard press release.

The Coast Guard reported 20-foot waves and “extremely high windspeeds” on the scene. After the boat rolled all the way over on the wave, the rescuer was able to recover its operator, who had suffered minor injuries after being thrown from the boat, and bring them to safety, according to the Coast Guard.

The rescue swimmer, Aviation Survival Technician 3rd Class John “Branch” Walton, graduated from Advanced Rescue Helicopter School hours after the incident, according to the release. It was the first time Walton had ever saved a life as a rescue swimmer.

(4/4) All in all, it’s just another day for the Coast Guard men and women who spend their days #ProtectingThePNW Photos and video by AET1 Kyle Turcotte pic.twitter.com/WNUnAe5OF5 — USCGPacificNorthwest (@USCGPacificNW) February 3, 2023

READ MORE: VIDEO: Coast Guard releases video of Russian ships in Hawaii waters

The Coast Guard said the rescued individual was taken to a base for medical evaluation. His situation didn’t improve much from there: he’s been arrested for stealing the boat, the New York Times reported .

The man, named Jericho Labonte, stole the boat from a marina in Astoria, Oregon. He was already wanted in Astoria for filming himself days earlier leaving a dead fish outside a house made famous by the 1985 film “The Goonies.” 

After being released from medical care, Labonte was spotted at a warming center in Astoria and arrested. He now faces multiple charges, including theft, endangering another person, unauthorized use of a vehicle and criminal mischief, according to Astoria police.

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Oliver Browning | Saturday 04 February 2023 15:19 GMT

Moment mariner rescued by US Coast Guard as vessel capsized by huge wave

Dramatic footage captures the moment a mariner was rescued by the US Coast Guard after a huge wave smashed into a yacht at the mouth of the Columbia River.

A rescue swimmer was deployed to the water using a winch cable but as he approached, a breaking wave capsized the vessel , throwing the man in.

The swimmer - named as John Walton - proceeded to retrieve the mariner from the water and both were hoisted into a helicopter .

Local authorities later notified the coast guard that the individual rescued is suspected to have stolen the yacht.

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CAUGHT ON CAMERA: Coast Guard makes dramatic rescue as wave rolls yacht

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ASTORIA, Ore. – A man who was saved by a Coast Guard rescue swimmer at the mouth of the Columbia River as a massive wave rolled the yacht he was piloting Friday was wanted for a bizarre incident in which police said he left a dead fish at the Astoria, Oregon, home featured in the classic 1985 film, “The Goonies.”

Officers had been looking for the man since Wednesday, when an acquaintance alerted them to a video he posted on social media of himself leaving the fish at the house and then dancing around the property, Astoria Police Chief Stacy Kelly said.

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Kelly identified the man as Jericho Labonte, 35, of Victoria, British Columbia. Labonte is also wanted in British Columbia on criminal harassment, mischief and failure to comply cases from last fall, Kelly said.

Early Friday afternoon, the Coast Guard shared stunning video of a rescue made a few hours earlier in which a newly minted rescue swimmer lowered by cable from a helicopter swam to a 35-foot (11-meter) yacht that was struggling in heavy surf. As the swimmer approached the vessel, a large wave slammed into it, rolling the boat over and throwing a man, later identified as Labonte, into the water.

The swimmer, Petty Officer 1st Class Branch Walton, of Greenville, South Carolina, reached Labonte and pulled him to safety. The helicopter crew flew him to Coast Guard Base Astoria, where medics treated him for mild hypothermia and transported him to a hospital.

The yacht's owner, who lives in nearby Warrenton, Oregon, reported the vessel stolen later Friday, the police chief said.

The hospital had already released Labonte when police saw the Coast Guard photos and video and realized it was the same person who they said covered over security cameras at the Goonies house and left the dead fish on the porch.

Police were still looking for Labonte Friday evening.

Kelly didn't know what kind of fish it was, but said police believed it was caught locally because after the video started circulating another person reported having taken Labonte fishing.

“It's been a really odd 48 hours,” Kelly said.

The mouth of the Columbia, the largest North American river flowing into the Pacific Ocean, is known as “the graveyard of the Pacific" for its notoriously rough seas. The Coast Guard received the yacht's mayday call around 10 a.m. Friday while conducting trainings nearby, Petty Officer Michael Clark said.

The mayday contained no information about location or the specific problem, but the agency roughly triangulated the vessel's location and nearby boat crews and a helicopter responded.

They found the P/C Sandpiper yacht taking on water in 20-foot (6-meter) seas, meaning the height of a wave from the previous trough could be as much as 40 feet (12 meters), Clark said.

Walton, who only recently graduated from the Coast Guard's rescue swimmer program, was lowered from the helicopter by a cable. Labonte climbed onto the stern and prepared to enter the water just as a huge wave slammed the craft, throwing him into the surf. The wave struck so violently that the vessel rolled completely over and wound up floating upright.

Walton said in an interview Friday that he planned to reach the man, get him in the water and hook him to a cable attached to the helicopter. Instead, the wave hit.

“I kind of got thrown around a little bit by the wave. When I came up I noticed the boat was pretty much in shambles," Walton said.

He directed the helicopter to bring him to Labonte after spotting him in the surf a short distance away. The force of the wave had mostly knocked off his life jacket, Walton said.

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Coast Guard makes dramatic rescue at mouth of Columbia River as wave rolls yacht

SEATTLE — A man who was saved by a Coast Guard rescue swimmer at the mouth of the Columbia River on Friday as a massive wave rolled the yacht he was piloting turned out to be wanted for a bizarre incident in which police said he left a dead fish at the Astoria, Oregon, home featured in the classic 1985 film, “The Goonies.”

Officers had been looking for the man since Wednesday, when an acquaintance alerted them to a video he had posted on social media of himself leaving the fish at the house and then dancing around the property, said Astoria Police Chief Stacy Kelly.

Early Friday afternoon, the Coast Guard shared stunning video of a rescue made a few hours earlier, in which a newly minted rescue swimmer lowered by cable from a helicopter swam to a 35-feet yacht that was struggling in heavy surf. As the swimmer approached the vessel, a large wave slammed into it, rolling the boat completely over and throwing the man onboard into the water.

The swimmer reached the man and pulled him to safety. The helicopter crew flew him to Coast Guard Base Astoria, where medics treated him for mild hypothermia and transported him to a local hospital.

The owner of the yacht, who lives in nearby Warrenton, Oregon, reported the vessel stolen later Friday, the police chief said.

By the time police saw the Coast Guard’s photos and video and realized it was the same person who they said covered over security cameras at the Goonies house and left the dead fish on the porch, the hospital had already released him. Police were still looking for him as of Friday evening.

Kelly didn’t know what kind of fish it was, but said it had been caught locally, because after the man’s video from the Goonies house started circulating, another person called police to report having taken the man out fishing.

“It’s been a really odd 48 hours,” he said.

Kelly identified the man as Jericho Labonte, 35, of Victoria, British Columbia. Labonte is also wanted in British Columbia on criminal harassment, mischief and failure to comply cases from last fall, Kelly said.

The mouth of the Columbia, the largest North American river that flows into the Pacific Ocean, has such notoriously rough seas that it is known as “the graveyard of the Pacific.” The Coast Guard was conducting several trainings nearby when the mayday call from the yacht came in at about 10 a.m. Friday, said Petty Officer Michael Clark.

The mayday call contained no information about vessel location or what the problem was, but the agency was able to triangulate roughly where the call was coming from, Clark said. Crews on vessels and in a helicopter who happened to be training nearby responded.

They found the yacht, the P/C Sandpiper, taking on water in 20-foot (6-meter) seas — meaning the height of a wave from the previous trough could be as much as 40 feet (12 meters), Clark said.

The rescue swimmer — who was on his first rescue just after graduating from the Coast Guard’s rescue swimmer program — was lowered from the helicopter by a cable. As he neared the vessel, the man on board climbed onto the stern, preparing to get into the water.

But just then a huge wave slammed the boat, throwing him into the surf. The wave struck so violently that the vessel rolled completely over and wound up floating upright.

The swimmer managed to locate the man in the surf and pulled him to safety.

“It’s a bit of a christening for a new rescue swimmer,” Clark said.

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Friends' sailing adventure ends in a dramatic rescue after a whale sinks their boat in the Pacific

What started as a sailing adventure for one man and three of his friends ended in a dramatic rescue after a giant whale sank his boat, leaving the group stranded in the middle of the Pacific Ocean for hours and with a tale that might just be stranger than fiction.

Rick Rodriguez and his friends had been on what was meant to be a weekslong crossing to French Polynesia on his sailboat, Raindancer, when the crisis unfolded just over a week ago.

They had been enjoying some pizza for lunch when they heard a loud bang.

"It just happened in an instant. It was just a very violent impact with some crazy-sounding noises and the whole boat shook," Rodriguez told NBC's "TODAY" show in an interview that aired Wednesday.

"It sounded like something broke and we immediately looked to the side and we saw a really big whale bleeding,” he said.

The impact was so severe that the boat's propeller was ruptured and the fiberglass around it shattered, sending the vessel into the ocean.

As water began to rush into the boat, the group snapped into survival mode.

"There was just an incredible amount of water coming in, very fast," Rodriguez said.

Alana Litz, a member of the crew, described the ordeal as "surreal."

"Even when the boat was going down, I felt like it was just a scene out of a movie. Like everything was floating," she said.

Rodriguez and his friends acted fast, firing off mayday calls and text messages as they activated a life raft and dinghy.

He said he sent a text message to his brother Roger in Miami and to a friend, Tommy Joyce, who was sailing a "buddy boat" in the area as a safety measure.

“Tommy this is no joke," Rodriguez wrote in a text message. "We hit a whale and the ship went down."

"We are in the life raft," he texted his friend. "We need help *ASAP."

Raindancer sank within about 15 minutes, the group said. Their rescue took much longer that, with the four friends out on the open waters for roughly nine hours before they could be sure they would live to tell the tale.

Peruvian officials picked up the group's distress signal and the U.S. Coast Guard was alerted, with its District 11 in Alameda, California, being in charge of U.S. vessels in the Pacific.

Ultimately, it was another sailing vessel, the Rolling Stones, that came to the group's aid after Joyce shared the incident on a Facebook boat watch group.

Geoff Stone, captain of the Rolling Stones, said they were about 60 or 65 miles away when his crew members realized that their vessel was the closest boat.

After searching the waters, they were eventually able to locate the group of friends.

“We were shocked that we found them," Stone said.

The timing of the rescue, which unfolded at night, appeared to be critical as the Stones' crew members were able to see the light from the dinghy bobbing in the darkness.

Rodriguez lost his boat and the group of friends said they also lost their passports and many of their possessions, but they said they were just grateful to be alive.

The severity of the injuries sustained by the whale were not immediately clear.

Kate Wilson, a spokeswoman for the International Whaling Commission, told The Washington Post, which first reported the story, that there have been about 1,200 reports of whales and boats colliding since a worldwide database launched in 2007.

Collisions causing significant damage are rare, the Coast Guard told the outlet. It noted that the last rescue attributed to impact from a whale was the sinking of a 40-foot J-Boat in 2009 off Baja California. The crew in that incident was rescued by a Coast Guard helicopter.

One member of Raindancer's sailing crew, Bianca Brateanu, said the more recent incident, however harrowing, left her feeling more confident in her survival skills.

“This experience made me realize how, you know how capable we are, and how, how skilled we are to manage and cope with situations like this,” she said.

In an Instagram post, Rodriguez said he would remember his boat "for the rest of my life."

"What’s left of my home, the pictures on the wall, belongings, pizza in the oven, cameras, journals, all of it, will forever be preserved by the sea," he said.

"As for me, I had a temporary mistrust in the ocean. But I’m quickly realizing I’m still the same person," Rodriguez wrote. “I often think about the whale who likely lost its life, but is hopefully ok. I'm not sure what my next move will be. But my attraction to the sea hasn’t been shaken."

Chantal Da Silva reports on world news for NBC News Digital and is based in London.

Sam Brock is an NBC News correspondent.

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Man rescued by Coast Guard wanted in 'Goonies' fish incident

SEATTLE (AP) — A man who was saved by a Coast Guard rescue swimmer at the mouth of the Columbia River as a massive wave rolled the yacht he was piloting Friday was wanted for a bizarre incident in which police said he left a dead fish at the Astoria, Oregon, home featured in the classic 1985 film, “The Goonies.”

Officers had been looking for the man since Wednesday, when an acquaintance alerted them to a video he posted on social media of himself leaving the fish at the house and then dancing around the property, Astoria Police Chief Stacy Kelly said.

Kelly identified the man as Jericho Labonte, 35, of Victoria, British Columbia. Labonte is also wanted in British Columbia on criminal harassment, mischief and failure to comply cases from last fall, Kelly said.

Early Friday afternoon, the Coast Guard shared stunning video of a rescue made a few hours earlier in which a newly minted rescue swimmer lowered by cable from a helicopter swam to a 35-foot (11-meter) yacht that was struggling in heavy surf. As the swimmer approached the vessel, a large wave slammed into it, rolling the boat over and throwing a man, later identified as Labonte, into the water.

The swimmer, Petty Officer 1st Class Branch Walton, of Greenville, South Carolina, reached Labonte and pulled him to safety. The helicopter crew flew him to Coast Guard Base Astoria, where medics treated him for mild hypothermia and transported him to a hospital.

The yacht's owner, who lives in nearby Warrenton, Oregon, reported the vessel stolen later Friday, the police chief said.

The hospital had already released Labonte when police saw the Coast Guard photos and video and realized it was the same person who they said covered over security cameras at the Goonies house and left the dead fish on the porch.

Police were still looking for Labonte Friday evening.

Kelly didn't know what kind of fish it was, but said police believed it was caught locally because after the video started circulating another person reported having taken Labonte fishing.

“It's been a really odd 48 hours,” Kelly said.

The mouth of the Columbia, the largest North American river flowing into the Pacific Ocean, is known as “the graveyard of the Pacific" for its notoriously rough seas. The Coast Guard received the yacht's mayday call around 10 a.m. Friday while conducting trainings nearby, Petty Officer Michael Clark said.

The mayday contained no information about location or the specific problem, but the agency roughly triangulated the vessel's location and nearby boat crews and a helicopter responded.

They found the P/C Sandpiper yacht taking on water in 20-foot (6-meter) seas, meaning the height of a wave from the previous trough could be as much as 40 feet (12 meters), Clark said.

Walton, who only recently graduated from the Coast Guard's rescue swimmer program, was lowered from the helicopter by a cable. Labonte climbed onto the stern and prepared to enter the water just as a huge wave slammed the craft, throwing him into the surf. The wave struck so violently that the vessel rolled completely over and wound up floating upright.

Walton said in an interview Friday that he planned to reach the man, get him in the water and hook him to a cable attached to the helicopter. Instead, the wave hit.

“I kind of got thrown around a little bit by the wave. When I came up I noticed the boat was pretty much in shambles," Walton said.

He directed the helicopter to bring him to Labonte after spotting him in the surf a short distance away. The force of the wave had mostly knocked off his life jacket, Walton said.

Copyright 2023 The Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed without permission.

Watch CBS News

Investigators: Doomed boat on Hudson River was likely overloaded

By Jessica Moore

Updated on: July 13, 2022 / 6:23 PM EDT / CBS New York

• https://www.cbsnews.com/newyork/live-updates/officials-12-rescued-after-boat-capsizes-in-hudson-river/ link copied

NEW YORK  -- There is new information on what caused that boat to capsize on the Hudson River on Tuesday.

Investigators believe the boat was overloaded and they now say the owner and operator could possibly face criminal charges, CBS2's Jessica Moore reported Wednesday.

Exclusive video shows the jet-powered boat navigating the choppy waters of the Hudson on what was a windy afternoon, with no other boats nearby.

There is a spray of water and then the boat capsizes.

Investigators say 13 Colombian tourists were onboard the 24-foot vessel that was designed to seat only 12, and that one of the two people who died, 7-year-old Julian Vasquez was wearing a life vest, as required. However, in a tragic twist, the vest apparently got caught on debris when the boat flipped over, preventing the little boy from floating to the top.

Investigators are uncertain whether the other victim, 47-year-old Lindelia Vasquez, was wearing a life vest, but say she was also found trapped underneath the vessel.

Henry Kaden filmed the incident from his apartment in Union City, New Jersey.

"When I started to hear the news reports about the injuries and especially when I heard a kid died, I'm still not right about that. It just really hurts and I'm wondering if it could've been prevented," Kaden said.

Police sources told CBS2 the owner of the boat and and another man who was operating the vessel are not off the hook criminally. Investigators are looking into the culpability of the owner, who was trailing the boat on a Jet Ski and rented out the craft for the charter. Police sources also said they could face charges of violating maritime law and/or reckless endangerment.

Questions remain about what type of license the boat's captain had, whether it was a charter license, which is required for taking six or more people out on the water.

That man is still in the hospital, along with two other passengers pulled from the river.

Check below for the latest updates. 

Neighbors, friends grieve loss of Lindelia and Julián Vasquez

We are learning more about the woman and child who died when a boat capsized in the Hudson on Tuesday.

As CBS2's Thalia Perez reports, it was supposed to be a fun, family day out before things turned tragic.

Click here to read more .

• https://www.cbsnews.com/newyork/live-updates/officials-12-rescued-after-boat-capsizes-in-hudson-river/#post-update-19acf83a link copied

Victims' names released

We now know the names of the two people who were killed in the incident. 

The NYPD identified them as 7-year-old Julian Vasquez and 47-year-old Lindelia Vasquez.

Sources told CBS2 the people on the boat were tourists from Colombia who were staying at a hotel in Elizabeth, New Jersey. 

• https://www.cbsnews.com/newyork/live-updates/officials-12-rescued-after-boat-capsizes-in-hudson-river/#post-update-8f9f6ac6 link copied

CBS2 obtains exclusive video of boat capsizing

There is new video of the moment the boat capsized on the Hudson River on Tuesday.

CBS2's Alice Gainer was at the Pier 78 ferry terminal, where those who were rescued were brought.

The boat and a Jet Ski were just cruising along the water before the vessel flipped.

In addition to the NYPD and FDNY heroes, Gainer also spoke with two NY Waterway ferry captains who sprang into action and were first on scene to help.

On video taken from Weehawken, New Jersey, and obtained exclusively by CBS2, the boat and the Jet Ski are seen side by side. There's a spray of water and the boat flips.

"We noticed a Jet Skier flying around. At first, we thought it was another Jet Skier capsized, saw a few people, then saw more," said Jason Peters, the captain of the NY Water ferry John Stevens. "They were waving for help, for us to come over. 'Help! Help!'"

Peters was on his normal route when his crew changed course and went over to assist.

"We got eight people out the water ... They were hanging onto it. Others were in the water. We started throwing life jackets, life rings, just to get them out the water," Peters said.

Another NY Waterway ferry, Garden State, also came to help.

"I had my deckhands immediately deploy a Jason's cradle, get a boat hook, get the life jackets on," Capt. Anthony Ryan said. "They weren't really trying to get out of the water. They were panicked."

The crew remained calm and focused.

"We got right into action. The training of NY Waterway kicked in right away," one crew member said.

In his nearly 20 years as a ferry captain, Peters said he has been no stranger to saving lives on the river.

"'Miracle on the Hudson,' so pretty much similar situation, almost the same spot," Peters said.

Ryan said he assisted on 9/11 and noted his crew is constantly drilling and ready for rescues.

"There's a lot going on. You get nervous. You get stressed. You don't want to see anybody get hurt. Things happen fast," Ryan said.

• https://www.cbsnews.com/newyork/live-updates/officials-12-rescued-after-boat-capsizes-in-hudson-river/#post-update-acbb69c8 link copied

Latest on the investigation

Tragedy on the Hudson.

Two people lost their lives, including a 7-year-old boy, when a boat capsized on the river on Tuesday afternoon. Nine others were rescued. The group on board consisted of tourists from Colombia who were staying in Elizabeth, New Jersey, CBS2's Kevin Rincon reported

Officials said the boat overturned near 44th Street. It was taken to Christopher Street, more than two miles down the river. The jet boat is about 12 to 14 feet in length, and had at least a dozen people on board, and now we know, sadly, at least two people got trapped underneath.

Video shows several people waiting to be rescued sitting atop the overturned boat, some wearing life jackets, others just in their bathing suits.

On land, people watched as first responders tried their best to avoid any casualties.

Unfortunately, police say a 7-year-old boy was found dead trapped underneath, along with a 47-year-old woman. They were pulled out by SCUBA divers with both the NYPD and FDNY.

"The individual that I found, the small one that I found, was wearing a life vest. Obviously, any time it's a child, it changes maybe your emotional state, but you just have a job to do and you do it," said Ryan Warnock of Rescue Company 1.

As the chaotic scene unfolded in the water, Henry Kaden could only watch from his apartment in Union City.

"I was shocked to see people on an overturned boat," Kaden said.

He said he noticed something went wrong when several boats flocked to the area.

"Luckily, the ferries were right there. They helped save a lot of people," Kaden said.

From his vantage point, Kaden has seen countless things on the river, including the "Miracle on the Hudson." That's why he had his camera handy.

Plenty of focus was on the boat as it was taken out of the water with the help of a crane provided by the Army Corps of Engineers.

Investigators believe the boat capsized when it hit a wave caused by a passing ferry. Weight may have been an issue, as there were 12 people on board.

Two remain in critical condition, including the captain, who was licensed.

"It was chartered by family and friends, and it was owned by an individual who was actually on a Jet Ski following the boat," NYPD Assistant Chief James McCarthy said.

Nine of those family members and friends were rescued. Most were seen walking away in towels, understandably upset at the chaos that unfolded.

"This is a devastating moment for them and those who were part of the families that were there," Mayor Eric Adams said.

The mayor said the accident is a reminder of the dangers associated with our waterways, as they often become a pleasant escape, especially during the summer for so many New Yorkers.

• https://www.cbsnews.com/newyork/live-updates/officials-12-rescued-after-boat-capsizes-in-hudson-river/#post-update-8e429766 link copied

NY Waterway captain speaks out after Hudson River rescue

Two people died including a child after a boat capsized on Tuesday afternoon. A captain involved in the rescue effort spoke out after the incident.

• https://www.cbsnews.com/newyork/live-updates/officials-12-rescued-after-boat-capsizes-in-hudson-river/#post-update-a8541646 link copied

Watch: Coast Guard discusses Hudson River rescue effort

Coast Guard Lt. Cmdr. Dave Ruglig spoke about the Hudson River rescue effort following Tuesday afternoon's incident.

Ruglig is the managing officer of the crew that responded after the boat capsized. He spoke with CBS2's Maurice DuBois and Kristine Johnson.

• https://www.cbsnews.com/newyork/live-updates/officials-12-rescued-after-boat-capsizes-in-hudson-river/#post-update-7e698dfa link copied

Officials: 2 critical among others rescued

FDNY Commissioner Laura Kavanagh said the woman who died in Tuesday's incident in Lower Manhattan was 50 years old, and added two of the 11 other people pulled from the water are in critical condition.

In addition, one victim is in critical but stable condition and eight others are stable, Kavanagh added.

• https://www.cbsnews.com/newyork/live-updates/officials-12-rescued-after-boat-capsizes-in-hudson-river/#post-update-ff9ee62f link copied

NYPD Commissioner Sewell: "This is a tragic day for New Yorkers"

At a news conference on Tuesday evening, NYPD Commissioner Keechant Sewell announced the deaths of a woman and a 7-year-old boy following the capsizing of a boat in the waters off Lower Manhattan.

Sewell said the incident happened at around 2:45 p.m., adding a 911 call was received for an overturned vessel by The Battery.

"The NYPD and FDNY immediately deployed resources to the area. NYPD Harbor Patrol arrived at Pier 86 at West 46th Street where they observed a capsized vessel," Sewell said. "Two victims were rescued by Harbor. They were drifting near the boat. The NYPD SCUBA immediately deployed divers into the water. A female was brought to surface and into the boat. She was unresponsive. Without delay, FDNY Marine divers also entered the water and pulled out a male, 7 years old. He was also unresponsive. Unfortunately, both of those individuals have been pronounced deceased."

Sewell went on to say, "This is a tragic day for New Yorkers. Indeed, it may have well been worse were it not for the incredible effort by not only our own extraordinary first responders but also the swift response from New York Waterway ferries who rescued nine additional people from the water." 

• https://www.cbsnews.com/newyork/live-updates/officials-12-rescued-after-boat-capsizes-in-hudson-river/#post-update-aa8271a4 link copied

Watch team coverage of the rescue

• https://www.cbsnews.com/newyork/live-updates/officials-12-rescued-after-boat-capsizes-in-hudson-river/#post-update-14b5c723 link copied

NY Waterway hails captains, crews who helped in rescue

We are so proud of the NY Waterway captains and crews that leapt into action today to rescue boaters following the maritime accident in the Hudson. Their training and professionalism saved lives, as they have countless times before. pic.twitter.com/dZ2I3or5aG — NY Waterway (@ridetheferry) July 12, 2022

"We are so proud of the NY Waterway captains and crews that leapt into action today to rescue boaters following the maritime accident in the Hudson. Their training and professionalism saved lives, as they have countless times before," NY Waterway posted on Twitter. 

• https://www.cbsnews.com/newyork/live-updates/officials-12-rescued-after-boat-capsizes-in-hudson-river/#post-update-2e92684a link copied

Officials say 12 people rescued, 2 in critical condition

Mayor Eric Adams was on the scene after a boat capsized  in the  Hudson River . 

The incident took place around 2:45 p.m. near Pier 84 at 44th Street.   

NYPD and FDNY scuba teams rushed to respond. They say a dozen people were pulled from the water. Two people are in critical condition and have been rushed to area hospitals, authorities said. Nine injuries were said to be minor. 

At least two southbound lanes of the Henry Hudson Parkway were closed while the rescues were underway. 

Two NY Waterway ferries assisted in the rescues. NY Waterway says a private boat overturned. 

• https://www.cbsnews.com/newyork/live-updates/officials-12-rescued-after-boat-capsizes-in-hudson-river/#post-update-a5759d23 link copied

Chopper 2 over the scene

Chopper 2 was over the scene shortly after the boat capsized. 

Chopper 2 Flying Chopper 2 is checking a water rescue after a boat capsized on the Hudson River. More on CBSN New York: http://cbsloc.al/cbsnnewyork Posted by CBS New York on Tuesday, July 12, 2022

• https://www.cbsnews.com/newyork/live-updates/officials-12-rescued-after-boat-capsizes-in-hudson-river/#post-update-2ed54834 link copied
• Hudson River

Jessica Moore is an Emmy Award-winning anchor for the weekend evening newscasts on CBS 2 and WLNY 10/55. Moore joined the stations in July, 2016.

• boat accident

Good Samaritan pulls 4 from water, but 1 missing after tugboat submerges, Coast Guard says

HARRIS COUNTY, Texas (KTRK) -- Authorities are searching for one person who went missing after a tugboat flipped over in east Harris County waters on Friday afternoon.

According to the U.S. Coast Guard, five people were aboard the tugboat when it flipped over just before 3 p.m. at the 16500 block of Peninsula Boulevard near San Jacinto Boulevard.

Four out of five people were recovered from the water and stabilized.

A Coast Guard helicopter and boats are searching for the missing person with a Harris County dive team.

The USCG credited a good Samaritan with helping recover the four rescued passengers.

For news updates, follow Luke Jones on Facebook , X and Instagram .

Related Topics

• HARRIS COUNTY
• BOAT ACCIDENT
• MISSING PERSON
• WATER SEARCH
• WATER RESCUE
• COAST GUARD

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Arrest made in stolen yacht rescue, ‘Goonies’ fish incident

A U.S. Coast Guard video captured a dramatic rescue showing a swimmer approaching a boat as heavy waves hit off Washington and Oregon (Feb. 3)

In this photo provided by the U.S Coast Guard Pacific Northwest, Coast Guard personnel help carry a swimmer from a rescue helicopter after he was rescued from the mouth of the Columbia River after his boat was capsized by a giant wave on Friday, Feb. 3, 2023, at Coast Guard Base Astoria, Ore. A newly minted Coast Guard rescue swimmer saved the man’s life at the mouth of the river between Oregon and Washington state. (AET1 Kyle Turcotte/U.S. Coast Guard Pacific Northwest via AP)

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In this photo provided by the U.S. Coast Guard Pacific Northwest, a Coast Guard ship, left, attempts to a rescue a distressed yacht at the mouth of the Columbia River between Oregon and Washington state on Friday, Feb. 3, 2023. A newly minted Coast Guard rescue swimmer saved the life of a man who was piloting the yacht. (AET1 Kyle Turcotte/U.S. Coast Guard Pacific Northwest via AP)

FILE - The house featured in the Steven Spielberg film “The Goonies” is viewed in Astoria, Ore., May 24, 2001. A man who was saved by a Coast Guard rescue swimmer at the mouth of the Columbia River on Friday, Feb. 3, 2023, as a massive wave overturned the yacht he was piloting turned out to be wanted by police for a bizarre incident in which he allegedly left a dead fish at the Astoria home. AP Photo/Stepanie Firth, File)

SEATTLE (AP) — A stolen yacht. A dramatic Coast Guard rescue . A dead fish. And the famed home featured in the classic 1985 film “The Goonies.”

Combined, Oregon police called it a series of “really odd” events along the Pacific Northwest coast spanning 48 hours that concluded Friday night with the arrest of a Canadian man.

Jericho Wolf Labonte, 35, of Victoria, British Columbia, was taken into custody in the northwestern Oregon resort town of Seaside, police said in a news release.

He’d been pulled from the ocean hours earlier by a Coast Guard swimmer, just after the yacht he was piloting capsized amid high waves. He was briefly hospitalized for mild hypothermia.

Labonte was discharged before authorities in nearby Astoria, Oregon, saw the rescue video and said they recognized him as the same person who covered over security cameras at the “Goonies” house and left the fish on the porch.

Police in Seaside, about 17 miles south of Astoria, said they found Labonte on Friday evening at a homeless shelter where he was staying “under an alias,” and arrested him on charges of theft, criminal mischief, endangering another person and unauthorized use of a vehicle.

He’s also wanted in Canada for “other cases,” Seaside police said.

It wasn’t immediately clear Sunday whether Labonte had an attorney who could comment on his behalf.

“It’s been a really odd 48 hours,” Astoria Police Chief Stacy Kelly said Friday.

Police had been looking for Labonte since Wednesday, when an acquaintance alerted them to a video Labonte posted on social media of himself leaving a dead fish at the “Goonies” house and dancing around the property, Kelly said. The Victorian home was recently sold to a fan of the film , after being listed for $1.7 million.

Friday afternoon, before Labonte’s arrest, the Coast Guard shared stunning video of the rescue by Petty Officer 1st Class Branch Walton, a newly minted rescue swimmer from Greenville, South Carolina.

The 35-foot (11-meter) yacht had been reported stolen by its owner Friday afternoon. As the swimmer approached, a large wave slammed into the vessel, rolling it over and throwing a man, later identified as Labonte, into the water.

The mouth of the Columbia, the largest North American river flowing into the Pacific Ocean, is known as “the graveyard of the Pacific” for its notoriously rough seas.

Associated Press writer Rio Yamat reported from Las Vegas.

Search continues for father after rescuers find sailboat overturned

The bodies of two children were recovered.

DOOR COUNTY, Wis. (WBAY) - Rescuers are continuing the search for a missing boater off Door County Tuesday morning. They were still searching as of Tuesday afternoon.

Monday they found the bodies of two young children and the sailboat they were on, capsized, in the Bay of Green Bay.

On Tuesday, authorities confirmed the children were wearing life jackets.

As we reported, Bill Salnik, 32, and his children went sailing from Oconto on Saturday. It’s believed they were headed to Riley’s Bay before storms hit.

A search began Sunday afternoon after they failed to appear at their destination, phone calls went straight to voicemail, and their truck and boat trailer were found at a boat landing.

Their sailboat was found capsized south of Chambers Island after daybreak Monday. The children were located about 5 hours later.

Agencies are searching by air, land, and of course water, in hopes of finding Salnik.

“Statistically from what I’m told, with the water temperature your survivability is up to 121 hours and we’re still within that window, so I mean we’re not giving up hope until absolutely and it’s necessary,” said Chief Deputy Patrick McCarty of the Door County Sheriff’s Office.

McCarty says crews are planning to search through the week.

“These are our busiest times of the year, so there are a lot of people out enjoying the recreational waters of Door County, so if someone does see something, please call. We want to follow up on any lead,” McCarty said.

Meanwhile, authorities are waiting for positive identification of the children’s bodies.

Authorities say they are paying close attention to the weather for this search, and say it dictates when they go out on the water.

Copyright 2024 WBAY. All rights reserved.

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Two die after 17-foot fishing boat overturns in Lake Michigan near Port Washington

T wo people died and one survived after a boat overturned in Lake Michigan near Port Washington Monday evening, July 15, authorities said.

Around 6:24 p.m. the Ozaukee County Sheriff's Office received reports from the U.S. Coast Guard of a 17-foot fishing boat in distress, sinking in Lake Michigan, according to a Tuesday news release from the office.

The Ozaukee County Emergency Management Rescue Boat, Port Washington Fire Department Fire Boat, U.S. Coast Guard from Milwaukee and Sheboygan, and a U.S. Coast Guard helicopter responded to the suspected area of the boat’s last coordinates, according to the release.

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Rescue boats located three people in the water: one was semi-conscious and breathing, and the other two were unconscious and not breathing. All three were transported to the Aurora Medical Center in Grafton.

Lifesaving efforts were conducted by rescue personnel, but the two unconscious victims were later pronounced deceased.

The two victims were identified as a 50-year-old man and 51-year-old woman, both from Illinois. The person who survived the incident is a 26-year-old male from Beloit, who is currently in stable condition.

According to the sheriff's office, the boat, a 2008 Triton, Model 177, faced 2- to 4-foot waves and water temperatures around 53 degrees. The boat was reported to have been taking on water when a wave struck the side, overturning it. It became submerged prior to the rescue and has not yet been located.

The Grafton Fire Department, Saukville Fire Department and Port Washington Police Department also assisted with the incident.

Contact Claudia Levens at [email protected]. Follow her on X at  @levensc13 .

This article originally appeared on Milwaukee Journal Sentinel: Two die after 17-foot fishing boat overturns in Lake Michigan near Port Washington

Boat overturns on Lake Michigan; 1 rescued, 2 dead

Boat overturns on Lake Michigan near Port Washington

PORT WASHINGTON, Wis. - Three people were rescued from Lake Michigan near Port Washington on Monday night, July 15 after their boat overturned. 

One person, wearing a life jacket, was rescued. However, two others were unresponsive – and later pronounced deceased. The victims are identified as a 50-year-old man and 51-year-old woman – both from Illinois. The survivor of this incident is a 26-year-old man from Beloit. 

U.S. Coast Guard personnel received the mayday call at 9:15 p.m. Monday. The Coast Guard, along with Ozaukee County Sheriff's Office and Port Washington Fire Department members, responded with boats and a helicopter. 

During the search, one crew came across the capsized vessel before locating and recovering one unresponsive person from the water. 

A Good Samaritan also heard the distress call and arrived to assist. The Good Samaritan heard one person in the water yelling for help. A Port Washington Fire Department crew located them and they were rescued by Station Milwaukee ’s RB-M crew in a responsive state.

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The helicopter crew then located the final person in the water. They were recovered by Ozaukee County Sheriff's Office. That person was unresponsive.

A news release says the responsive person was able to confirm they made the distress call and that there were a total of three people aboard the vessel. All three were transferred to Port Washington EMS and then a hospital. 

"The one responsive person we rescued was also wearing a life jacket, which was critical in buying us time to find them and pull them out," said Petty Officer 2nd Class Kimberly Miller, Station Milwaukee Coxswain.

Missouri woman who served 43 years in prison is free after her 1980 murder conviction was overturned

CHILLICOTHE, Mo. (AP) — A woman whose murder conviction was overturned after she served 43 years of a life sentence was released Friday, despite attempts in the last month by Missouri’s attorney general to keep her behind bars.

Sandra Hemme, 64, left a prison in Chillicothe, hours after a judge threatened to hold the attorney general’s office in contempt if they continued to fight against her release. She reunited with her family at a nearby park, where she hugged her sister, daughter and granddaughter.

“You were just a baby when your mom sent me a picture of you,” she said. “You looked just like your mamma when you were little and you still look like her.”

Her granddaughter laughed. “I get that a lot.”

Hemme had been the longest-held wrongly incarcerated woman known in the U.S., according to her legal team at the Innocence Project. The judge originally ruled on June 14 that Hemme’s attorneys had established “clear and convincing evidence” of “actual innocence” and he overturned her conviction. But Republican Attorney General Andrew Bailey fought her release in the courts.

“It was too easy to convict an innocent person and way harder than it should have been to get her out, even to the point of court orders being ignored,” her attorney Sean O’Brien said. “It shouldn’t be this hard to free an innocent person.”

During a court hearing Friday, Judge Ryan Horsman said that if Hemme wasn’t released within hours, Bailey himself would have to appear in court Tuesday morning. He threatened to hold the attorney general’s office in contempt.

He also scolded Bailey’s office for calling the warden and telling prison officials not to release Hemme after he ordered her to be freed in her own recognizance. “I would suggest you never do that,” Horsman said, adding: “To call someone and tell them to disregard a court order is wrong.”

Hemme declined to address reporters after she was released. O’Brien said she was going straight to the side of her father, who was hospitalized with kidney failure and recently moved to palliative care. ”This has been a long time coming,” he said of her release.

O’Brien said previously that delays had caused their family “irreparable harm and emotional distress.”

There are still struggles ahead.

“She’s going to need help,” he said, noting she won’t be eligible for social security because she has been incarcerated for so long.

Over the last month, a circuit judge, an appellate court and the Missouri Supreme Court all agreed Hemme should be released, but she was still held behind bars, leaving her lawyers and legal experts puzzled.

“I’ve never seen it,” said Michael Wolff, a former Missouri Supreme Court judge and professor and dean emeritus of Saint Louis University Law School. “Once the courts have spoken, the courts should be obeyed.”

The lone holdup to freedom came from the attorney general, who filed court motions seeking to force her to serve additional years for decades-old prison assault cases. The warden at the Chillicothe Correctional Center initially declined to let Hemme go, based on Bailey’s actions.

Horsman ruled on June 14 that “the totality of the evidence supports a finding of actual innocence.” A state appeals court ruled on July 8 that Hemme should be set free while it continued to review the case. The next day, July 9, Horsman ruled Hemme should be released to go home with her sister. The Missouri Supreme Court on Thursday declined to undo the lower court rulings that allowed her to be released on her own recognizance and placed with her sister and brother-in-law.

Bailey, a Republican facing opposition in the Aug. 6 primary election, responded with another request late Thursday, asking the Circuit Court to reconsider.

Hemme was serving a life sentence at the Chillicothe Correctional Center for the 1980 stabbing death of library worker Patricia Jeschke in St. Joseph, Missouri.

Hemme’s immediate freedom was complicated by sentences she received for crimes committed while behind bars. She received a 10-year sentence in 1996 for attacking a prison worker with a razor blade, and a two-year sentence in 1984 for “offering to commit violence.” Bailey had argued that Hemme represents a safety risk to herself and others and that she should start serving those sentences now.

Her attorneys countered that keeping her incarcerated any longer would be a “draconian outcome.”

Some legal experts agreed.

Peter Joy, a law professor at the Washington University School of Law in St. Louis, said the effort to keep Hemme in prison was “a shock to the conscience of any decent human being,” since evidence strongly suggests she didn’t commit the crime.

Bailey’s office did not immediately respond to messages seeking comment Friday.

Bailey, who was appointed attorney general after Eric Schmitt was elected to the U.S. Senate in 2022, has a history of opposing overturning convictions, even when local prosecutors cite evidence of actual innocence.

Horsman, after an extensive review , concluded in June that Hemme was heavily sedated and in a “malleable mental state” when investigators repeatedly questioned her in a psychiatric hospital after the killing. Her attorneys described her ultimate confession as “often monosyllabic responses to leading questions.” Other than the confession, no evidence linked her to the crime, her trial prosecutor said.

The St. Joseph Police Department, meanwhile, ignored evidence pointing to Michael Holman — a fellow officer, who died in 2015 — and the prosecution wasn’t told about FBI results that could have cleared Hemme, so it was never disclosed before her trials, the judge found.

Evidence presented to Horsman showed that Holman’s pickup truck was seen outside Jeschke’s apartment, that he tried to use her credit card, and that her earrings were found in his home.

Horsman, in his report, called Hemme “the victim of a manifest injustice.”

Salter reported from O’Fallon, Missouri.

Copyright 2024 The Associated Press. All rights reserved.

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Investigation found that Clarence Thomas took free yacht, helicopter trips in Russia: Democrats

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A Senate Judiciary Committee investigation found that conservative Supreme Court Justice Clarence Thomas failed to disclose at least 35 luxury gifts, including a free yacht trip to Russia and a private helicopter to a palace in St. Petersburg, Vladimir Putin's hometown, Sens. Sheldon Whitehouse, D-R.I., and Ron Wyden, D-Or., said  in a letter  to Attorney General Merrick Garland.

The letter raised the "serious possibility of tax fraud" and accused Thomas of having "secretly accepted gifts and income potentially worth millions of dollars," mostly from billionaire real estate developer Harlan Crow, who Thomas once described as being among his "dearest friends." Buried in appendix list on page 14 are the references to the Russia trips, which took place in 2003. Other gifts from Crow include "multiple instances of free private jet travel, yacht travel, and lodging," "gifts of tuition for Justice Thomas's grandnephew," "real estate transactions," "home renovations," and "free rent for Justice Thomas's mother."

“The Senate is not a prosecutorial body, and the Supreme Court has no fact-finding function of its own, making the executive role all the more important if there is ever to be any complete determination of the facts,” the letter reads.

After a bombshell ProPublica report last year that revealed the extent of Thomas' financial ties with Crow and attempts to hide it, Thomas admitted to taking three trips on a private plane owned by Crow, but did not disclose any of the other gifts.

The senators are asking Garland to launch a special counsel investigation into Thomas, with the evidence collected so far "plainly suggest[ing] that Justice Thomas has committed numerous willful violations of federal ethics and false-statement laws and raises significant questions about whether he and his wealthy benefactors have complied with their federal tax obligations."

In a separate move on Wednesday, Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez, D-N.Y., and a group of fellow progressives filed articles of impeachment against Thomas and Supreme Court Justice Samuel Alito for failing to disclose "millions of dollars in gifts from individuals with business before the court."

The 7 Best RC Boats for Racing Around Lakes, Riding Upstream, and Ripping Through Waves

Like sailing or speedboating, but tiny.

Gear-obsessed editors choose every product we review. We may earn commission if you buy from a link. Why Trust Us?

RC boats come in lots of shapes, sizes, and styles, but the best models can shred water from afar without becoming sinking ships. We’ve rounded up the best remote-control boats for beach visits, lakefront races, poolside entertainment, and some advice on picking the best RC boat for you.

Stay in play and check out our picks for the best magnetic toys , remote-control trucks , and remote-control planes .

The Best RC Boats

• Best Overall: ALPHAREV RC Boat with Case R308
• Best for Beginners: DEERC RC Boat with LED Light
• Most Well-Rounded: Altair Aerial AA102 RC Boat
• Best Value: Force1 Velocity H102
• Best Sailboat: PLAYSTEAM Voyager 400 RC Sailboat

What to Consider

While you can likely get away with using a larger RC boat on a pond or lake, you may want to stick to a smaller model if you’ll be floating yours in a backyard swimming pool or need to pack something tiny. RC boats can be up to two feet long, so make sure to consider the journey to the water, too, especially if the boat you’re eyeing doesn’t come with a carrying case.

Weight and Speed

The RC boat’s weight helps determine how fast it can move. Heavier boats are better equipped to move at high speeds without capsizing, whereas lighter boats can be speedy using less power, a.k.a., slower acceleration. Think of it like torque on a car (or a full-sized boat, for that matter)—the more power the boat gets from the battery, electric, or gas motor, the faster it can accelerate.

Speed is also dependent on the type of hull—some boats are shaped for optimal turning and curves, while others are built for picking up speed while driving in a straight line.

The priciest models can reach speeds of up to 50 miles per hour. We mostly recommend recreational, battery-powered RC boats that reach speeds up to 30 miles per hour, since the more powerful, expensive models are meant for hardcore hobbyists and professional racers.

Capsize Recovery

Many RC boats have anti-capsize, or capsize recovery, functionality to prevent them from flipping over (and staying overturned). Flipping an RC boat is extremely easy, especially if you lack experience, and can lead to a sinking ship. If you’re new to RC boating, consider grabbing one with capsize recovery, making your boat rebalance and flip back over if it tips.

How We Selected

We researched each model’s speed, customer rating, durability, and unique features. We also consulted buying guides from several top hobbyist publications. We’ve picked options for every type of RC boat customer, whether you’re a casual hobbyist, buying a first boat for your kids, or you’re a dedicated RC enthusiast.

ALPHAREV RC Boat with Case R308

This boat features capsize recovery, so if it tips over or gets hit by a wave, it’ll flip back over to recover. It also has LED lights installed to make it easy to see when it’s dark. Thanks to the autopilot mode that loops the boat into a figure-eight shape, children can easily use it, too.

The R308 comes with two batteries and a charger, with users reporting approximately 20 minutes of power (counting both batteries) when operating the boat at full speed. It has a 400-foot signal range for distance driving and tops at 20 miles per hour. With its carry case, the R308 is a solid RC boat for most users.

DEERC RC Boat with LED Light

This is an excellent option for anyone eager to get into RC boating but unsure of their prowess on the water. It features two autopilot modes, so there’s plenty of opportunity to learn how to use it. It also has an extended playtime of 30 minutes, giving you plenty of time to practice.

With features like capsize recovery, double hatch design, and low-battery and signal alarms, this boat is pretty much goof proof, making it the perfect boat for beginners on their way to becoming enthusiasts.

Altair Aerial AA102 RC Boat

If you need a well-rounded RC boat, this one has ample protection, zippy speeds, and excellent customer service, all in one attractive package. Its anti-capsize feature prevents it from tipping over, while several users say its nose bumper saved their boats from getting totaled through crashing.

It has an extra battery for more playtime, and several users say it provides up to 20 minutes of action after swapping it. Users who experienced issues with their boats were able to find replacement parts and products thanks to the company’s customer service help. Others say that it’s a terrific value, though the lack of a carry case is disappointing.

Force1 Velocity H102

This boat reaches speeds of 20-plus miles per hour, making it great for anyone who wants their toy to fly on the water. This boat features a capsize recovery mode, a water-cooled engine, and a double-hatched body, making it easier to control on waves. The charge time is a little long, three to four hours, but it can ride for up to 15 minutes at full power.

Customers say this boat reaches top speed fairly quickly, though some report that the controller is difficult to use and not very responsive. Still, it handles well on the water and is a super speedy boat.

PLAYSTEAM Voyager 400 RC Sailboat

If sailing is your preference, the Voyager 400 is the way to go. Rather than rely on an electric motor to push it forward, the Voyager 400 can sail in any body of water via wind power. Its remote controls the rudder and the propulsion, and just in case wind isn’t in the forecast, it comes with a detachable motor to help propel it.

Customers say it’s easy to use, and everything is sealed to keep interior components dry when it tips over. Its rechargeable remote battery can work for up to one hour, which puts most RC speedboats to shame. A drawback, however, is that if it gets stuck at sea without the motor attached, you’ll have to wait for it to wash ashore.

Cheerwing RC Racing Boat

Cheerwing RC boats are fantastic if you’re looking for an affordable toy to race with your friends. This boat can hit up to 15 miles per hour and has some great features, including capsize recovery and automatic yaw correction, which rebalances your boat. It also signals when the battery is low or starts to lose signal, giving you peace of mind.

If you want to try RC boating without spending much, this is a solid buy. Its biggest downside is in its battery life—just six to eight minutes per charge—and it doesn’t come with the option to buy a second battery, so it requires frequent recharging.

VOLANTEXRC Brushless RC Boat

If you need speed and don’t mind investing more money into your hobby, this boat is fantastic. The fastest model on this list, this boat has a top speed of 40 miles per hour, a range of up to 656 feet, and a water-cooled system that prevents the motor from overheating.

It also has safety features to prevent damage from the high speeds, like waterproofing and a one-piece hull to prevent cracks.

The biggest flaw is its lack of capsize recovery, and several users say their boats flipped in action, causing them to swim out to retrieve their toys. It also only comes with one battery.

Kevin Cortez is an editor for Runner's World, Bicycling, and Popular Mechanics covering reviews. A culture and product journalist for over ten years, he’s an expert in men’s style, technology, gaming, coffee, e-bikes, hiking, gear, and all things outdoors. He most recently worked as the Style Editor for Reviewed, a top product recommendation site owned by USA TODAY. He also helped with the launch of WSJ's Buy Side commerce vertical, and has covered the music and podcast industries for Mass Appeal, Genius, Vulture, Leafly, Input, and The A.V. Club. Equally passionate about leisure as he is his penmanship, Kevin dedicates his spare time to graphic novels, birding, making cold brew, and taking long, meandering walks.

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At Least 40 Migrants Killed in Boat Fire Off Haitian Coast, U.N. Says

The boat was carrying over 80 people and bound for Turks and Caicos. The disaster underscores Haiti’s gang-fueled crisis that has spurred many Haitians to leave.

By David C. Adams and James Wagner

David C. Adams reported from Miami, and James Wagner from Mexico City.

At least 40 migrants were killed when a boat they were traveling on from Haiti caught fire, a United Nations agency announced on Friday. The boat, which was carrying over 80 people, left the northern coast of Haiti on Wednesday en route for Turks and Caicos, the agency said .

Another 41 migrants were rescued by the Haitian Coast Guard off the coast of Cap-Haïtien, a city in northern Haiti, the agency said, with 11 taken to a hospital.

The cause of the fire was not immediately known.

The episode was another disaster for the Caribbean country, which has been upended by rampant gang violence and an unfolding humanitarian crisis. Earlier this year, coordinated gang attacks rocked the country’s capital, Port-au-Prince, forcing the closure of its airport for nearly three months. Since then, nearly 580,000 Haitians have been displaced, according to the U.N.

“This devastating event highlights the risks faced by children, women, and men migrating through irregular routes, demonstrating the crucial need for safe and legal pathways for migration,” Grégoire Goodstein, the head of the U.N’s International Organization for Migration in Haiti, said in a statement on Friday.

He said that Haiti’s socioeconomic situation was dire and that the “extreme violence” over the past months has pushed Haitians to resort to “desperate measures even more.”

The first wave of foreign law enforcement officers from Kenya arrived in Haiti late last month to try to wrest control of Port-au-Prince from dozens of armed groups that have attacked police stations, freed prisoners and killed with impunity.

Haiti has been without a president since the assassination in July 2021 of Jovenel Moïse by armed men who broke into his bedroom and gunned him down in front of his wife. His murder is still under separate investigations in Haiti and Florida.

Amid the surge in violence, Ariel Henry resigned as prime minister in late April. In late May, Garry Conille, a former U.N. official, was appointed prime minister by a presidential transitional council. The Kenyans in Haiti are the first to deploy of an expected 2,500-member multinational force, an effort largely organized by the Biden administration in the United States.

James Wagner covers Latin America, including sports, and is based in Mexico City. A Nicaraguan American from the Washington area, he is a native Spanish speaker. More about James Wagner

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Noncitizens banned from voting in federal elections but not some local races

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Marcela Rosas immigrated to Southern California from the Mexican state of Michoacán more than a decade ago in search of the American dream.

She imagined a life with a house for her three children, educational opportunities and the ability to have a say in her community. There’s one cornerstone of American life that Rosas, 52, hasn’t been able to access: voting.

Without the ability to elect local leaders, Rosas says she feels powerless to push for change that might improve her family’s quality of life, citing issues like rising housing costs and local taxes.

“If I had the opportunity to vote I could choose the people I want to represent me — people who understand my needs and my issues,” she said. “Without the right to vote I feel segregated from my community.”

Rosas is one of thousands living in Santa Ana who could have the chance to vote in local elections by 2028 if city voters in November pass a ballot measure granting noncitizens limited voting power. The measure has drawn intense opposition from locals and organizations who assert that voting is a privilege that should be granted only to citizens.

The battle in Santa Ana comes as former President Trump, now the official GOP presidential nominee, and other Republicans nationwide continue to raise the specter of immigrants voting illegally in the United States to alter the outcome of election results in favor of Democrats — despite robust election surveillance laws and decades of studies that dispute claims of rampant voter fraud.

The issue has come up repeatedly during this week’s Republican National Convention, more recently by former presidential candidate and current Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis, who said on Tuesday that a fundamental GOP party value is “we believe you need to be a citizen in order to vote.”

Noncitizens range from individuals who are permanent residents in the United States to those who are undocumented. It can include those who have work permits, are refugees or are here under Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals, or DACA. Depending on the jurisdiction, there are at times certain criteria a noncitizen must meet to be able to vote in local elections.

During a news conference in May, U.S. House Speaker Mike Johnson (R-La.) said without evidence that widespread noncitizen voter fraud was “unprecedented and a clear and present danger to the integrity of our election system.”

“Even if you weren’t concerned about the drop boxes and the ballot harvesting of mail-in ballots in 2020 you definitely should be concerned that illegal aliens might be voting in 2024,” he said.

The Republican-led House passed a bill this month to require proof of citizenship for voter registration, even though federal law already bans noncitizens from voting in presidential elections. Those who break the law and register to vote without citizenship status in federal elections can face imprisonment or deportation.

Even so, federal law doesn’t restrict states from setting their own local and statewide election rules, which could include allowing noncitizens to vote in limited local elections, like school board or city council races.

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Fewer than two dozen cities have approved local laws that grant voting authority to noncitizens, according to Ron Hayduk, a political science professor at San Francisco State University who has studied and written books about noncitizen voting rights . No state allows noncitizens to vote in statewide elections.

The majority of those cities are in Vermont and Maryland. A handful of jurisdictions in Massachusetts have also passed local noncitizen voting ordinances, though they remain inactive without state approval, Hayduk said. New York City passed a noncitizen voting law in 2021 that a New York judge then struck down as unconstitutional. A federal judge in March rejected a challenge to a Washington, D.C., law allowing noncitizens to vote in local elections.

In California, San Francisco became the first city to grant noncitizens some voting rights via a 2016 ballot measure called Proposition N . The measure, which went into effect in 2018, granted parents of school children the chance to vote in school board races. Oakland voters approved a similar ballot measure in 2022, though the law has not been enacted.

In November, Santa Ana could become the third city that grants noncitizens eligiblity to cast ballots in municipal elections. The ballot measure differs from San Francisco and Oakland’s laws, granting noncitizens voting rights in local elections for mayor, council members and ballot measures.

Proponents say allowing noncitizens to vote is about parity and giving those who pay taxes and contribute to a community a say in their local government. In Santa Ana, which has a population of more than 310,000, there are about 5,600 Vietnamese residents and 64,000 Latinos who are not U.S. citizens, according to Tracy La, the co-founder and executive director of VietRISE.

“There’s a lot of people worrying about the state of our democracy in this country and whether democracy is under attack, but for us what we really care about is how can it be a true democracy if there are so many people in our community that can’t actually vote,” La said.

The rules around who can vote and for what race vary across the country, Hayduk said. Some are limited to school board races, while others apply more generally to citywide elections. Some local jurisdictions require voters to be legal permanent residents or have work permits, while others allow any noncitizen to cast a ballot.

But the idea by Trump and other Republicans that immigrants are voting carte blanche and that Democrats are using those ballots to sway elections is a myth that has been “roundly debunked by study after study,” Hayduk said.

Not only are national and statewide election laws extremely stringent, experts say, but immigrants have a lot to lose putting their names on government records.

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Many states, like California, allow charter cities to create their own election regulations to enfranchise noncitizen voters, Joshua Douglas, a law professor at the University of Kentucky who has studied local voting rights under state constitutions , explained in an email to The Times.

“Doing so does not violate the U.S. Constitution as there’s nothing in the Constitution that forbids the practice, and it does not violate the state constitution in states with state constitutional language that sets a floor for voter eligibility,” he said, adding that it often boils down to whether state constitutional language authorizes “every citizen” to vote, or “only a citizen.”

A wave of states in recent years have passed constitutional amendments to make it explicit that only citizens can vote , and several others, including Kentucky and North Carolina , will put the question before voters on November’s ballot.

Even in states that allow the practice, there are typically restrictions around how and when noncitizens gain access to the ballot.

To vote in San Francisco school board races, noncitizen voters have to prove they are of legal voting age, a resident of the city and that they are the parent, guardian or caregiver of a school-age child.

San Francisco City Atty. David Chiu, who played an instrumental role in getting the ballot measure passed first as a civil rights lawyer and later during his tenure in the state Assembly, said the law is critical to ensuring all parents “have a say in the direction of their childrens’ education, regardless of citizenship.”

Chiu said there are strict rules governing how noncitizens vote in San Francisco to ensure the program fully protects election integrity. Noncitizen voters receive special ballots that only include school board candidates, and they have to reenroll in the program after every election.

“I am not aware of a single incident of a noncitizen casting an illegal ballot in San Francisco,” Chiu said. “These (voter fraud) claims are simply not based in reality...and I would also say they misunderstand the operational aspects of current voting programs that protect election integrity.”

Chiu later defended Proposition N as city attorney against a lawsuit filed by a conservative legal group seeking to block the law. A San Francisco Superior Court judge initially ruled the law had violated the state Constitution , before an appeals court overturned that decision and allowed the program to continue . The ruling also applied to Oakland’s law, which faced a similar legal challenge.

Attorney and conservative pundit James Lacy, who led the lawsuits in San Francisco and Oakland, filed another lawsuit in May challenging language used in Santa Ana’s ballot measure.

“If we possess anything important in our citizenship, it’s the ability to vote and to participate in the body politic of our localities in our nation,” Lacy said. “When a noncitizen is allowed to vote, it diminishes the value of citizenship. It dilutes the vote of all citizens.”

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The impact of the noncitizen voting laws remains unclear.

In 2018, only 65 noncitizen residents registered to vote in San Francisco’s school board election, and 59 turned in ballots, according to the city’s Department of Elections. Those numbers dropped to 36 registered voters in 2020, with 31 ballots cast.

When three San Francisco school board were removed from office in a February 2022 recall election , registered noncitizen voters swelled to 328, and 235 people voted. Registration numbers dropped dramatically for another election that fall. Noncitizen ballots in the last four school board elections accounted for a fraction of the more than 1.3 million total votes cast.

Up until 1926, noncitizen voting was commonplace in most states , Hayduk said. Citizenship mattered less than other societal markers of success, such as race, gender and class, meaning white male landowners, regardless of citizenship status, usually had access to the ballot box.

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What happened to Russia’s seized superyachts?

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Miles Johnson

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On the morning of March 29 2022, Captain Guy Booth was working aboard Phi, a 192ft aquamarine superyacht moored in London’s Canary Wharf, when he heard a commotion below. Down on the pier a car had pulled up and Grant Shapps, then the UK’s transport secretary, emerged from the vehicle, followed by a retinue of aides.

“The first thing we saw was his entourage, several men and women carrying clipboards and make-up and hairbrushes,” says Booth. 

Shapps and his team then began to shoot a video for the social media network TikTok, where the government minister announced that Phi — built in 2021 by the famed Dutch luxury shipbuilder Royal Huisman and worth an estimated £38mn — “belongs to a Russian oligarch, friends of Putin”.

Booth watched in amazement as several television crews who’d been tipped off about the news arrived at the scene. “Shapps was positioning himself like a big game hunter, checking his best angle,” says Booth. “They took several takes.”

Next, a black cab arrived and three officers from the UK’s National Crime Agency got out. They climbed aboard and handed Booth a brown envelope. Inside was a government order: the boat he captained was now detained for being “owned by persons connected with Russia”.

Video description

A video shot by Grant Shapps in Canary Wharf, which shows the yacht Phi after the order to detain it in London

Today, Phi is still moored in the same spot in Canary Wharf outside an Indian restaurant, and with a small skeleton crew aboard. Each day, Booth, along with two engineers, a chief officer, a crew cook and two deck hands wake up on board and dutifully service the vessel.

Its once feted “infinite wine cellar” and seven-metre swimming pool lie unused. A lonely sun lounger sits out on deck, and the yacht’s Maltese maritime flag droops. Pink paint has been applied to its roof to protect it from the risk of dust from nearby building sites. 

Paul Dickie, a lawyer at Jaffa & Co who has represented Phi, claims the boat has been targeted by squatters. A notice on its side warns any would-be trespassers that they will be prosecuted “to the full extent of the law”.

For western nations, the yachts’ fate is a high-stakes test of the effectiveness of sanctions. For the lawyers who work for the owners, these seizures are acts of modern piracy

Phi’s owner, a Russian businessman called Sergei Naumenko, has repeatedly denied any connection to Vladimir Putin or the Russian state, and has twice unsuccessfully appealed to the English courts to have the yacht released. 

In May 2023 an English High Court judge said Shapps’s TikTok video claims that the owner had “close connections to Putin” were “excusable political hyperbole”. The Court of Appeal in March this year said it was “troubled” by Shapps’s “incorrect” statements. Both courts, however, upheld the UK detention order for the vessel.

After Putin’s full-scale invasion of Ukraine in February 2022 prompted western governments to unleash an avalanche of economic sanctions against Russian oligarchs, there are now multiple superyachts like Phi trapped in ports around the world. Several are stuck in seemingly never-ending legal quagmires, with vastly expensive lawyers hired by often opaque offshore owners battling for their release.

Although tens of billions of dollars of Russian-owned luxury assets, including mansions, luxury cars and private jets, have been frozen, it was the symbolism of the seizure of the oligarch superyachts — vast, floating Versailles palaces often worth hundreds of millions of dollars — that captured the public’s imagination. Anti-corruption campaigners hoped at the time that these vessels would be auctioned off and the proceeds could be donated to Ukraine.

Yet more than two years on from the start of the war, the future of these superyachts remains unresolved. Once prized trophies in the west’s co-ordinated response to Russia’s aggression, some have racked up vast maintenance costs for taxpayers, had their angry crews turn fire hoses and drones on snooping reporters, and been the target of sabotage plots by anti-war activists. 

For western governments, resolving the fate of these superyachts will be a high-stakes test of the effectiveness of economic sanctions. For lawyers working for the oligarchs who own them, the seizures are acts of modern piracy.

Perhaps no single vessel exemplifies the array of headaches that seized superyachts have caused western governments more than the Amadea — a $300mn, 348ft boat detained by the US authorities in Fiji in 2022.

Such is its gaudy opulence that the Amadea could be a pastiche of an oligarch’s fantasies. According to a 2021 profile in Boat International, it boasts a Pleyel piano with 24-carat gold pedals, a swimming pool that converts into a stage for DJs, hand-painted Michelangelo clouds on the dining-room ceiling, a lobster tank and a helipad. 

When the US Department of Justice seized the Amadea, it claimed that it was owned by the sanctioned Dagestan-born gold magnate Suleiman Kerimov. The DoJ said he was “part of a group of Russian oligarchs who profit from the Russian government through corruption and its malign activity around the globe”.

Deputy US attorney-general Lisa Monaco announced at the time that the seizure “should tell every corrupt Russian oligarch that they cannot hide”. Not long after Amadea was seized in Fiji, she told the Aspen Security Forum that investigators had even discovered an “alleged Fabergé egg” aboard. It was later found to be an imitation.

The Amadea was then moved by the US authorities from Fiji to San Diego, where it is currently moored. The US government last October brought a civil forfeiture case against the superyacht based on its claim that it was owned by Kerimov. 

We have 60,000 litres of diesel on board. If there are problems with fire detection, that could be very dangerous. You can’t get a fire engine in here’ Captain Guy Booth

During the time the Amadea has been stuck in San Diego, it has racked up maintenance bills of $740,000 a month, or almost $9mn a year, to be paid by the US government. Because of this, the Department of Justice moved to try to sell the boat, arguing that the costs it was incurring were “excessive”. 

Superyachts require constant maintenance and upkeep to keep their seaworthiness, let alone their value. Crew salaries and vast mooring fees must be paid. Hulls must be scraped, engines must be cleaned.

“The water here is brackish, half freshwater and half seawater, so things grow in it,” Booth says about Phi. “We are constantly having to remove biological marine growth from the filters. The teak decks require constant daily attention.”

Sabotage is also a risk. Lady Anastasia, a yacht seized in Mallorca and owned by the CEO of the Russian arms exporter Rosoboronexport Alexander Mikheev, in February 2022 was almost destroyed by a Ukrainian mechanic working on the boat who tried to intentionally sink it.

Some boats have simply disappeared. In the summer of 2022, two yachts owned by Dmitry Mazepin, another sanctioned Russian billionaire, vanished from the Sardinian port of Olbia. An investigation by Italy’s financial police, which had seized both yachts shortly after Putin’s invasion of Ukraine, found that one had made a stopover in Tunisia before vanishing, while the other was spotted sailing towards Turkey. In response, Italy has hit Mazepin with fines, which remain unpaid.

Booth says he believes Phi has suffered significant damage, as well as lost charter earnings, as a result of being stuck in Canary Wharf. “I am not at liberty to discuss the exact figure,” he says, “but it is huge. We are talking tens of millions of pounds.” 

Because of the freezing order, Phi’s Dutch manufacturer is unable to perform warranty work on the yacht. One of many issues, Booth says, is that he has been unable to fix faulty fire protection systems.

“We have 60,000 litres of diesel on board. If there are problems with the fire detection systems, that could be very dangerous. Exceptionally dangerous. You could have an ecological disaster in central London. You can’t get a fire engine in here.”

In Phi’s case, the costs are all borne by its Russian owner, who — unlike many other owners of frozen yachts — is not sanctioned and has not been proven to have any meaningful connection to the Russian state. He will be able to get this money back from the UK government only if the restriction order is overturned and he can then win a successful damages claim.

For other superyachts, the burden of paying for upkeep falls on the countries where they are being held. Lady M, a yacht owned by the sanctioned Russian steel and mining magnate Alexei Mordashov, has been blocked from leaving the Italian port of Imperia as one of seven yachts belonging to Russian oligarchs in the country.

Another, Sailing Yacht A, designed by Philippe Starck and, at 468ft long, one of the largest private sail-assisted motor yachts in the world, is currently impounded in the port of Trieste. Alleged by the Italian state to be owned by the sanctioned Russian oligarch Andrey Melnichenko, the boat is estimated to have cost the Italian taxpayer more than €18mn in upkeep, according to the local newspaper Il Piccolo. Lawyers for Melnichenko have said he does not personally own the yacht, and instead it is controlled by a trust that has no connection to him.

Costs aside, seizing a superyacht is simple enough, provided it is in the right place. At the time of the invasion, the only way for sanctioned Russian oligarchs to protect their yachts was to be lucky or shrewd enough to not have them in territories or waters where they could be captured. In March 2022, two superyachts belonging to Roman Abramovich, one of them featuring an onboard missile defence system and anti-paparazzi “laser shield”, sailed away from Europe towards Turkey and remain free to this day.

But in an industry where it is common to own vessels through cascades of offshore companies and anonymous trusts, a far trickier task for investigators can be to prove in court who really owns a superyacht once it has been detained.

Legal tussles over the ownership of government-seized assets are common. The difference with the superyachts is the owners’ legal resources, the value of the assets and the cost to the taxpayer

In the case of the Amadea, the US government has been battling in court to prove that Kerimov is its true owner before it can be allowed to sell the yacht and stop paying the vast costs of its upkeep.

The Department of Justice appeared to have strong evidence to back up its claims, including records showing that Kerimov’s family spent large amounts of time on the Amadea, and that his children had requested structural modifications to the superyacht.

However, Kerimov denied ownership. Instead, a different wealthy Russian, Eduard Khudainatov, a former chief executive of the Russian state-owned oil company Rosneft, stepped forward to claim that he, in fact, was the true owner of the Amadea and the seizure was unlawful.

“When you need records from overseas, when you are dealing with shell companies in secrecy jurisdictions, or people are hiding behind nominee owners, it’s going to take a long time,” says Stefan Cassella, a former federal prosecutor who served 30 years in the US Department of Justice specialising in asset forfeiture.

Cassella says these sorts of legal tussles over who owns an asset that has been seized by a government are common. The difference in the case of oligarch-owned superyachts is the legal resources available to the owners fighting the seizures, the size and value of the assets, and the cost to the taxpayer of keeping them afloat.

“We litigate this all the time,” Cassella tells me. “Say a drug agent sees a dealer dealing from a Mercedes car and they want to seize it. He claims it’s not his car, that his mother or sister owns it. We then need to litigate with that person to see if they are really the owner. Who pays the insurance? Who brought it in to get oil changed? Whose garage is it sitting in? This is the same, just on a much larger scale.”

The US responded in a court filing to Khudainatov’s claim to own the Amadea by accusing him of being a “clean, unsanctioned straw owner” serving as a front for Kerimov. Khudainatov’s lawyers have denied he is a straw owner and say he is the legal owner of the yacht.

The picture was further muddied when it was alleged by the US in court documents that Khudainatov, who in June 2022 was placed under EU sanctions, was the fake owner of another, even more valuable and mysterious super yacht, the Scheherazade — which he has denied.

The Scheherazade, one of the longest yachts in the world, worth an estimated $700mn, was seized by the Italian authorities in the Tuscan port of Marina di Carrara in May 2022 because of its suspected “meaningful economic and business connections with prominent elements of the Russian government subject to EU sanctions”.

In 2022 the now deceased Russian opposition leader Alexei Navalny’s Anti-Corruption Foundation published an investigation that claimed that the Scheherazade was in fact owned by Putin himself, based on the fact that many of its crew were agents of the Federal Protective Service, a state security unit responsible for the Russian president’s personal safety.

The US authorities have argued it is impossible that one man could own so many yachts, writing in court documents that “there is no reason to believe [Khudainatov] has the financial resources to purchase the Amadea and the Scheherazade, or is there any apparent reason why a single individual would own multiple superyachts of their size”.

Whoever is the true owner of the Scheherazade, they have not let its seizure dim their ambitions. During the time it has been held in Tuscany, the Italian government has allowed the owner to pay for an expensive refurbishment. It is a decoration job that the owner clearly wants to conduct in privacy. When reporters from Radio Free Europe tried to get close to the vessel earlier this year the Scheherazade’s crew turned on fire hoses, and deployed a drone to follow them.

Meanwhile, last month a New York court ruled that the US government was not allowed to sell the Amadea, meaning that US taxpayers will have to continue for now to foot the bill for its upkeep. 

Even if governments are able to establish ownership and get court permission to sell a superyacht, further legal complexities can make finding a buyer difficult. In June 2023 the Alfa Nero, a yacht alleged to be owned by the US-sanctioned phosphate billionaire Andrey Guryev, which has been impounded in Falmouth Harbor, Antigua, was sold at auction for $67mn to former Google chief executive Eric Schmidt.

The deal later fell apart, with the US ambassador to Antigua announcing that Schmidt backed out of the purchase because he was worried about future legal problems if he bought it.

Yulia Guryeva-Motlokhov, Guryev’s daughter, this year launched a challenge to the Antiguan government’s decision to seize and sell the Alfa Nero, claiming that she is the sole beneficiary of the trust that owns the yacht, rather than her father. The case is expected to be heard in September.

Back in the UK, Booth, the captain of Phi, believes that the yacht and its owner have been unfairly caught up in events outside of their control. “He’s not a billionaire, he’s never met Putin,” Booth says of Phi’s owner Sergei Naumenko. “He’s against the war. He’s just a private Russian gentleman who likes boats.” 

Phi will make another bid to be freed in the UK’s Supreme Court, in an appeal to be heard next January.

Captain Booth says he will not desert his ship. “My team and I have remained on board, remained loyal. I’ve won numerous awards for what I do in my industry. I could have left almost straight away, and said, ‘This is not my bag, I’m off to captain another superyacht in the Med’ . . . I would not sleep well at night if I abandoned this owner.”

But Booth and his crew may be waiting a long time. Cassella, the forfeiture lawyer, says he expects many cases to drag on for as long as a decade. “I thought two years ago when all the superyachts were seized that 10 years was an appropriate timeframe,” he says. “This is not going to be resolved any time soon.”

Miles Johnson is an investigative reporter for the FT. His book ‘Chasing Shadows: A True Story of Drugs, War and The Secret World of International Crime’ is now out in paperback

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