Ocean rescue video man held over ‘Goonies’ theft

Stacy Kelly, the Astoria police chief, said: ‘It’s been a really odd 48 hours’

HIS rescue was viewed by millions who shared videos of enormous waves smashing against a capsized boat off the Pacific coast of America.

But not long after the sailor recovered in hospital he was arrested, accused of having stolen his cabin cruiser and, bizarrely, leaving a dead fish at one of the most famous houses in the area.

The US coastguard plucked the 36-year-old out of the ocean moments after the boat he was on was hit by a massive wave at the mouth of the Columbia River in Oregon.

After seeing the footage, which went viral on social media, police noticed the man was Jericho Labonte: wanted for posting a video of himself leaving his catch on the porch of a house featured in the 1985 cult classic film The Goonies. He had also filmed himself dancing around the property, which is a local tourist attraction. Why he left a dead fish on the porch remains unclear.

Police in British Columbia were hunting Labonte in connection with allegations of criminal harassment, mischief and failing to comply with officers.

His dash for freedom entailed stealing the Sandpiper, a 35ft yacht, from its mooring in Astoria.

It was perhaps not the wisest choice, especially given that the mouth of the river is notorious for rough seas and is known as “the graveyard of the Pacific”.

On Friday morning, the coastguard, which was carrying out a training exercise, received a mayday call – albeit one without details of where the stricken yacht was.

Having located the craft, the coastguard sent a helicopter. Labonte had climbed on to the yacht’s stern but as his rescuer, Branch Walton, approached a wave capsized the Sandpiper, throwing the fugitive into the ocean.

Such was the force of the wave that Labonte’s life jacket was knocked off.

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

Labonte was first taken to a coastguard base and then to hospital, where he was treated for hypothermia.

By the time the police saw the video of Labonte leaving the fish, he had been released by the hospital but he was found at a hostel 22 miles south of Astoria. He also faces charges of endangering another person, unauthorised use of a vehicle and criminal mischief.

“It’s been a really odd 48 hours,” reflected Stacy Kelly, the Astoria police chief.