Wednesday morning at the beachAt 7:15 AM Sept. 3, a man was seen dragging a homemade boat from the dune in front of the Capri apartments in Ocean Ridge down to the shore and launching the boat into the ocean. He spent some time paddling close to shore south past Briny Breezes, where more than a dozen officers from Ocean Ridge, Gulf Stream, Customs & Border Patrol and the Palm Beach County Sheriff’s Office — along with three marine units and a PBSO helicopter — convinced the man to come back to the shore and speak to them. Photos and reporting by Jerry Lower/The Coastal Star
After a long discussion with the law enforcement officers, during which the man refused to identify himself and provided conflicting information about himself and his boat, he was taken into custody for resisting arrest.
Law enforcement stopped with the man at Old Ocean Boulevard in Briny Breezes, where he was checked out by Boynton Beach paramedics.
According to PBSO Sgt. Rafael Padilla-Rodriguez, in addition to resisting arrest and refusing to be identified, the man told police he didn't have any weapons on his body. While many items that he had in a bag tied to his shirt could be useful on a boat, they included a knife, scissors, hatchet, and chain. BELOW: Law enforcement checks out the vessel, which appears to be made in part by tarp and construction foam, and included multiple life vests, water jugs and other items. FOLLOW UP: A PBSO spokesperson said the man was not an "illegal" but was homeless with a homemade boat. He was arrested on a misdemeanor charge, the spokesperson said.
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