Intoxicated man steals yacht on Allegheny River, police say
A man is facing charges after allegedly stealing a yacht on the Allegheny River.
PHOTOS: Intoxicated man steals yacht on Allegheny River, police say
Pittsburgh River Rescue responded to the scene just before 8 a.m. Friday.
An intoxicated man, who police have identified as Michael Fischer, broke into the Lock Wall Marina off 23rd Street in the Strip District, Pittsburgh police said.
Channel 11 spoke to the owner of the yacht.
“Oh my gosh, every single thing was torn out. The cabinets and everything. We were crunching on potato chips and cheese puffs. It was like a giant party had gone on. The liquor cabinet was empty the liquor was everywhere. Bottles everywhere,” Michael Jennison told Channel 11.
Jennison believes multiple people were onboard his boat.
“Somehow they got onto the boat. They must have tried to start the engines because they have my diesel engine book opened on the bed, like trying to figure out how to start the engines,” he said.
Fischer apparently couldn’t figure it out. So, police say he untied the yacht, and let it drift a mile down the Allegheny River until it crashed into the river wall and nearly hit the River Rescue building.
“Thank God nobody got hurt. No damage was done. It went underneath four bridges, so thank goodness no damage was done over there. No lives were taken,” the boat captain, Adam Kernohan told Channel 11.
When police went onto the yacht, officers found Fischer relaxing in a chair.
“He was sitting right there. Laying back. Passed out, pistachio nuts everywhere, a bottle of rum mostly all drunk, just a little left in the bottom,” Jennison added.
When Fischer was in police custody, officers say he told them, “I took the boat. I wanted to meet some Pittsburgh Pirates.”
Fischer is facing felony charges.
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