Sarnia Police Service officials allege: A man is wanted after a rented personal watercraft was found on the U.S. side of the St. Clair River following what police believe was an illegal border crossing.
Police said they were called around 9:40 p.m. on Aug. 9 after a renter failed to return a Sea-Doo in Sarnia. The craft had been taken out at about 6:40 p.m. and was due back an hour later. The rental company contacted the man by phone after the deadline passed, and he twice promised to return soon but did not.
Officers issued an alert to nearby police agencies, suspecting a possible theft or intentional disappearance. The Canadian Coast Guard, Sarnia Fire, and Point Edward Fire searched the river from south of the marina toward Stag Island and north into Lake Huron, but did not find the man or the craft. The Canada Border Services Agency and Toronto police were also notified.
Shortly after midnight, the U.S. Coast Guard found the Sea-Doo on the American shore south of Sarnia. Items recovered included a shirt the man was last seen wearing, a life jacket and the craft’s keys.
Police believe the man successfully crossed into the United States illegally. U.S. Customs and Immigration is investigating. An arrest warrant has been issued for a 40-year-old Toronto man on a charge of theft of a motor vehicle.
