OPP boat stolen, destroyed

The Elgin County Ontario Provincial Police boat was stolen from a marina in Port Stanley, set on fire and destroyed in the early morning hours of Wednesday, June 25.

The 24-foot Sea Swirl inboard outboard vessel was stolen from Stan’s Marina at about 2:45 a.m., Elgin OPP Constable Troy Carlson said.

The vessel was taken from its normal parking slip and transported about one kilometre out to Port Stanley harbour on Lake Erie where the boat was set on fire near the west break wall.

The boat was destroyed by the fire and at an estimated loss of $85,000.

Efforts by Central Elgin firefighters were made difficult because of the boat’s location and access to the area, Const. Carlson said.

Police were continuing to investigate and the Ontario Fire Marshal’s Office would be involved.

A temporary replacement police boat was being arranged from OPP Headquarters in Orillia.

During the wait for the boat from Orillia, the Central Elgin Fire Department boat would be used for any emergencies on the lake within a kilometre from shore and an Auxiliary Coast Guard vessel would be dispatched out of the Long Point area for incidents farther from shore.