Boat burglar suffers hypothermia after he hides in water to evade Kenmore police

A Lake Forest Park man faces burglary charges after he jumped from a Northlake Marina dock into the water to evade Kenmore police the morning of Nov. 22.

A Lake Forest Park man faces burglary charges after he jumped from a Northlake Marina dock into the water to evade Kenmore police the morning of Nov. 22.

A witness living in a nearby condo called police on Thanksgiving morning to report he saw a man jump from the North Lake Washington shore onto a moored boat at the Northlake Marina, said Kenmore police Chief Clifford Sether.

“He just happened to be looking out his window,” said Sether, noting Kenmore police has seen a slight increase in boat burglaries at the Northlake Marina in the past month. “It was a lucky break for us.”

Kenmore police and the King County Sheriff’s Office responded to the call at approximately 2:45 a.m.

“When we approached the back of the marina, he jumped into the water and stayed there for 45 minutes,” said Sether, noting a K-9 unit and marine patrol tracked him to Log Boom Park. The suspect was taken to Evergreen Hospital, where he was treated for hypothermia, and booked into King County Jail.

The suspect also had several warrants for his arrest on felony charges, said Sether.

He said the suspect didn’t have enough time to steal anything from the boat and it didn’t appear he broke into other boats.

Kenmore police have seen several break-ins at the Northlake Marina in the past month, including two incidents on Nov. 12, when multiple boats were broken into.

During those incidents, someone broke into three boats and stole TVs, a plastic jar with money and a computer monitor, amongst other items.

“We took prints off those and are hoping to match up somebody with them,” said Sether.

He said there was no forced damaged to the gate at the marina and it appeared someone bypassed the gate and jumped onto the boats, similar to the Nov. 22 incident.

Kenmore police has stepped up its enforcement and surveillance of the area, said Sether.

Residents can also protect their property by locking up their boats and writing down the serial numbers from their electronics and valuables, he said.

Sether also encourages residents to call 911 if they see suspicious activity.

“The thing I find really frustrating is when someone sees something that doesn’t look right, but we’re so programmed that I can’t call 911 because it isn’t an emergency, but that’s not true,” said Sether. “Don’t be afraid to call 911.”