At about 3pm Monday, the employee was using the agency's 14-foot aluminum flat bottom boat to reach a portion of shoreline about two miles north of the Trinity River Highway 105 bridge, in order to measure a research plot. Because he would be deep into the wooded area, as a precautionary measure the officer removed the outboard motor from the boat and hid it on shore.
The officer reported that while in the woods, he heard an outboard motor on the river which stopped near his location. He heard the motor noise stop and start a few times before fading away up the Trinity River. When the officer returned to where he had beached the boat, he found it was missing.
The boat is described as a 2002 14-foot Basstracker aluminum flat bottom boat that is colored gray on gray. The model is TX-6829JR and the serial # is BUJ11138K102. It is valued at $1,500 to $2,000 which makes this a felony theft offense. All information has been entered into the state's stolen database.
The Liberty County Sheriff's Department is asking anyone who has any information on the whereabouts of this boat or the person or persons who stole it to report that information to the department at (936) 336-4500. Tipsters' names will be kept confidential.
Authorities add that "it would be unwise for anyone to be found in possession of this boat."
In a statement, the Liberty County Sheriff's Department suggests: "It would be a wise decision on the part of the person or persons who stole this boat to see that it is returned by leaving it at some safe location and make a phone call to the Sheriff's Department as to where it can be recovered. Being found in possession of this boat on the river or on one's property is not a good option."
Take ABC13 with you!
Download our free apps for iPhone, iPad and Android devices
