TowBoatU.S. Ft. Lauderdale Returns
Barefoot Bandit Boat To The United States

The Barefoot Bandit allegedly made his way from Marsh Harbour to the waters off Eleuthera in the Bahamas when he ran the 44' SeaRay that he was operating aground in an area known as the Devils Backbone. The vessel was recovered after the "Pilot turned Skipper" abandoned the grounded boat and fled onto the island. Salvage crews ungrounded the boat and although the vessel sustained serious damage to her running gear, a Bahamian crew slowly made their way to Nassau aboard the boat in route to the U.S. In a case of mistaken identity, while having a bite to eat at the Poopdeck restaurant in Nassau, the Bahamians that were delivering the boat were mistaken by authorities as the thieves that made off with it. It wasn't until later that the truth was discovered linking this boat to the Barefoot Bandit. The vessel was arrested and detained in Nassau pending further investigation.

TowBoatU.S Ft. Lauderdale's 96' Salvage vessel M/V Richard L. Becker was involved with the next chapter of this intriguing story which plays out like the screen play for the movie Catch Me If You Can. The owner of the SeaRay named Bobcat II contacted TowBoatU.S. Ft. Lauderdale to inquire about returning his boat to the U.S. for repairs. M/V Richard L. Becker was dispatched to Nassau to undertake the long tow back to Ft. Lauderdale. Director of Sales Barney Hauf said "I watched the news with interest as this case unfolded; I was stunned by this kid's ability to continue with his crime spree and elude law enforcement for so long. I certainly never thought that we would have any involvement in the story." The boat was taken in tow in Nassau and towed to the Port Everglades turning basin where a smaller TowBoatU.S. tug took her in tow to her final destination at Harbour Towne Marina in Dania Beach Florida. The boat is being repaired and will likely return to the Bahamas. "We are all wondering if the owner will change the name of the boat from Bobcat II to The Bandit" Hauf Added "One thing is for sure, the owner will have a great story to tell his guests while on board the boat for many years to come!"

TowBoatU.S. Ft Lauderdale takes great pride in their ability to perform long distance towing operations safely and professionally. Contact TowBoatU.S. Ft. Lauderdale for more information.