The United States Coast Guard released footage Friday of a dramatic water rescue at the mouth of the Columbia River near Astoria, Ore., in a story that has become stranger.
In a video shot from a helicopter, a man can be seen standing on the side of a 35-foot yacht in strong waves. A rescuer, who had been lowered into the water by a cable, approaches the ship, just as a large wave crashes over it, overturning it and throwing the man on board into the water.
The swimmer managed to get him to safety. The helicopter transported him to Coast Guard Base Astoria, where he was treated for mild hypothermia and briefly hospitalized.
In a bizarre twist, the man, later identified as Jericho Labonte, 35, of Victoria, British Columbia, was revealed to be wanted by police for allegedly leaving a dead fish at the home of Astoria, star of the 1985 film The Goonies .according to the Associated Press.
Astoria police had been looking for him since Wednesday, when an acquaintance alerted them to a video posted by Labonte on social media that showed him leaving fish on the property and dancing.
The owner of the yacht, a resident of Warrenton, Ore., reported the boat stolen later Friday.
Labonte was arrested Friday night at a homeless shelter in Seaside, about 17 miles south of Astoria, on charges of theft, criminal mischief, endangering another person and unauthorized use of a vehicle. The Coast Guard told the AP he is also wanted in other cases in Canada.
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