A man wanted in BC was taken into custody after a dramatic rescue by the US Coast Guard.
Before being identified as a wanted criminal, Jericho Labonte was rescued from a vessel in choppy waters off of Cape Disappointment, Washington.
(1/4) #BreakingNews - Talk about arriving in the nick of time! While conducting a training mission at the mouth of the Columbia River, 2 Coast Guard air crews received a #MAYDAY broadcast from the master of the P/C Sandpiper. After notifying watchstanders at Sector Columbia River pic.twitter.com/CtYSgpdPUG
— USCGPacificNorthwest (@USCGPacificNW) February 3, 2023
Videos shared by the US Coast Guard show a rescuer swimming out to the boat. Just as Labonte jumps into the water, a large wave capsizes the vessel. Fortunately, the rescue swimmer was able to recover Labonte and get him to safety.
After the rescue, the Astoria Police in Oregon received a call from a concerned citizen, who said that the rescue subject had previously posted a video of himself leaving a dead fish at the house the Goonies was filmed at.
(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
A few days later, police received a call from Port Security Chief Matt Hansen informing them that the vessel involved in the Coast Guard rescue earlier in the day was stolen from the Port of Astoria.
He recognized the vessel on the video, contacted the owner, and confirmed that it had been stolen. At about the same time, police also received calls from several citizens identifying the rescued victim as Labonte.
(3/4) 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. pic.twitter.com/woJ72rkFz7
— USCGPacificNorthwest (@USCGPacificNW) February 3, 2023
The Victoria Police issued a wanted notice for Labonte last month. He is wanted BC-wide for five unendorsed warrants for charges of criminal harassment, mischief and three counts of failure to comply.
Labonte had been taken to Columbia Memorial Hospital after the rescue as a precaution, and was discharged before being identified.
He was later taken into custody at a warming centre.
