Ryan Dieter, 40, is charged with grand theft, resisting arrest, operating a vessel while impaired and burglary involving assault or battery
Credit: Collier County Sheriff’s Office
NEED TO KNOW
- Florida resident Ryan Dieter was arrested after allegedly pushing a Sea Tow captain — who reportedly saved him from a burning boat — overboard and stealing the rescue vessel
- The Sea Tow captain was reportedly found safe
- Dieter is charged with grand theft, resisting arrest, operating a vessel while impaired and burglary involving assault or battery
A Florida man is facing charges after he was rescued from a burning boat — only to allegedly push the rescuer overboard and steal his vessel.
Authorities responded to a report of an incident near Marco Island in Collier County on March 6, according to the Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission (FWC), per Naples Daily News and Gulf Coast News.
The FWC and Collier County Sheriff’s Office did not immediately return PEOPLE’s requests for comment.
An initial investigation indicates that a Sea Tow captain helped save Ryan Dieter, 40, from a burning boat and brought him aboard his tow boat. Dieter then allegedly pushed the good Samaritan off the tow boat and drove away, leaving the Sea Tow captain stranded, per the outlets.
Credit: John Greim/LightRocket via Getty
Dieter allegedly grounded the boat and then took off on foot. He was eventually located naked in nearby mangroves by local authorities, per Gulf Coast News.
The Sea Tow captain was found safe, per the outlet.
"I don't know what his thinking process was, but somebody comes to help you, and then that's what you do," Nancy Cook, a local resident, said of the incident while speaking to Gulf Coast News.
“It was really disturbing to see that here," she added. "You know, the security here is wonderful. We always feel very safe. But I don't know exactly what happened with that. But I'm glad the sea boat captain was all right. That's scary."
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On March 7, Dieter was arrested and charged on four counts, including grand theft, resisting arrest, operating a vessel while impaired and burglary that involved assault or battery, per public Collier County arrest records.
Dieter is scheduled to appear in court on March 30, per the arrest records. No bond information is publicly available.
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