A man stole New York's famous fireboat and set sail on the Hudson.

On April 11, police arrested a man for allegedly taking a decommissioned New York City fireboat and setting sail on the Hudson River. The journey was short-lived as he soon became stuck, so he jumped off that craft and stole another, reports Yahoo.

The troublemaker was charged with grand theft.

Authorities say the man took possession of a fire boat known as the John J. Harvey. He untied it from its pier at Pier 66 on the west side of Manhattan.

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The 40-meter-long vessel is now used as a floating museum. It earned local recognition after being used to evacuate survivors of 11/XNUMX. There is a serial robber operating in New York - read more about this in our article.

Loser Captain

Once aboard a fireboat, the man sailed a short distance down the Hudson and soon became stuck. He jumped overboard, dove into the cold water, and then climbed onto the sailboat.

The hijacker took the craft to Pier 51, about 15 blocks south of the original location.

The Police Department's Harbor Division responded to a late-night call about a stolen boat at 2:30 a.m. and arrested a man on the deck of the sailboat.

A spokesman for the Hudson River Park Trust, which oversees Pier 66, said the fireboat was safe and was being assessed for damage.

A ship with history

Built in 1931, the John J. Harvey has been involved in several dramatic sea rescues. The boat took part in extinguishing a catastrophic fire aboard the El Estero, a munitions ship moored in New York Harbor during World War II.

It was decommissioned in 1994, but was used again on the morning of 11/XNUMX to help pick up survivors and pump water into the facility.

The boat's keepers occasionally offer free public cruises on this historic boat on the Hudson River.