Sarasota, Florida – Sarasota Police Department’s Marine Unit stopped a speeding unmanned 26-foot boat on Monday after its operator was thrown into the water.

The team responded to a report of a boater in distress north of the Ringling Museum. They discovered the vessel circling at about 40 mph with no one aboard.

Officers attempted several times to stop the boat using tow-lines, but those efforts failed. SeaTow then used a plasma tow-line, which slowed the vessel slightly.

This allowed officers to pull alongside the runaway boat. One officer jumped aboard and successfully brought the vessel to a stop.

The man who had been operating the boat told officers he was returning from the weekend Boat Show at Marina Jack when a larger vessel crossed his path. As he tried to manage the wake, he was thrown overboard.

The operator sustained minor injuries. He was not wearing a life jacket and had not used the boat’s emergency engine cut-off switch.

No damage was reported to any law enforcement boats or to the 26-foot Everglades vessel.

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