By Andy Boyle and Jamal Thalji, Times Staff Writers
Thursday, August 26, 2010
REDINGTON BEACH — Authorities are trying to solve the mystery of the abandoned million-dollar yacht that ran aground.
The leads they were following on Thursday all pointed to Mexico.
The owner of the 48-foot yacht may be Arturo Millet Reyes of Mexico, according to the Pinellas County Sheriff's Office. He bought the vessel in 2008 locally. Deputies said they were told the owner may have been taking the boat to Mexico.
But deputies are also following leads that the yacht was reported stolen from a marina somewhere near Yucatan, Mexico. Local authorities said they've been in touch with Mexican authorities about the matter.
The Sea Ray Sundancer vessel was found beached at 15648 Gulf Blvd. around noon Wednesday. Its motor was running and no one was aboard. Deputies searched the area, fearing someone might have fallen overboard.
The U.S. Coast Guard assisted, searching gulf waters farther offshore.
The yacht is called the Making Waves, is based in Jupiter and has an expired Florida registration. But it did have current Delaware registration and U.S. documentation. A Mexican flag was flying at the bow, with a U.S. flag at the stern.
According to the Mexican newspaper Por Esto! ("That's Why!"), a 48-foot Sea Ray Sundancer was recently reported missing from a local marina. It was registered to Arturo Millet Reyes, the newspaper said. But Por Esto! reported that it may actually belong to Felipe Hernández Enríquez, a delegate of the Institutional Revolutionary Party, or PRI party, in Yucatan.
Deputies contacted the yacht's previous owner in Tampa, who told them he sold the boat to Reyes in 2008 and that he believed Reyes was taking the boat to Mexico.
But authorities had not found anyone who may have been onboard the boat late Thursday morning.
Wednesday's search was called off in the evening after bad weather and darkness made searching difficult.
Deputies will impound the vessel until the rightful owned is found. They were waiting until the next high tide — at 1:27 p.m. Thursday — to move the boat.
Check tampabay.com for more updates.
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