Florida Yacht Chase Ends With Over $200,000 In Damages

While car thefts get a lot of attention because they’re more common, boat theft is still very much a thing, which led to a crazy and expensive yacht chase in Florida recently. A suspect stole the vessel that’s worth $2.5 million as police in much smaller boats gave chase and eventually put a stop to the pursuit.

Good thing the guy didn’t steal this super submarine instead.

The yacht was stolen from a marina in Jupiter, Florida on the evening of May 5. Thankfully, the dockmaster noticed the theft and he called the Martin County Sheriff’s Office. One of the first things Sheriff John Budensiek said his office checked was that the situation wasn’t a bank repossession.

After all, who in their right mind would steal a vessel that’s 68 feet long and three stories tall? The thing sticks out like a sore thumb.

The answer is a Russian national named Nikolai Vilkov. The guy is accused of stealing another boat the night before, so we guess he figured he’d do it again.

Deputies got into their own craft, which might have been smaller but were able to chase down the large, expensive yacht as it traveled north. Thankfully, Vilkov wasn’t armed so deputies just had to maneuver alongside the yacht and ram it from the side.

With three boats working together, they were able to push the expensive craft into the mangroves, bringing the water pursuit to a relatively peaceful end. However, damage from the incident totaled around $200,000. Relative to the cost of the yacht, that’s really not all that much.

Now authorities are trying to figure out what Vilkov planned on doing with the pricey yacht. We doubt he was just going for a joyride. Instead, he was likely sent to Florida specifically to steal that and maybe some other ships, possibly by an international theft ring.

Image via WPLG Local 10/YouTube