KALAMA, Wash. — A man is accused of stealing a Portland Fire and Rescue boat early Thursday morning and driving it up the Columbia River into Kalama, Washington, fire officials said.
Rescue Boat 21 was stolen from Portland Fire's boathouse along the Willamette River near the Hawthorne Bridge, according to a spokesperson for the agency. Firefighters said 44-year-old Dustin Knutson was able to swim in and steal it.
"We just got a call from the Coast Guard at Station 21 reporting that a subject apparently stole rescue boat 21 and is driving it with no lights on and is asking people for food and cigarettes in the area," said a dispatcher, just after six in the morning, in a recording obtained through Broadcastify.
Knutson traveled all the way to Kalama on the Columbia River before beaching the boat, according to firefighters. The U.S. Coast Guard took him into custody around 8 a.m. He's in the Multnomah County Jail facing trespassing and criminal mischief charges.
The Coast Guard towed the boat to the Port of Kalama. Its depth finder was damaged and the propeller was bent. The propeller had to be replaced before coming back to Portland.
"It's pretty dinged up. This is not usable anymore," said Kelly Webber with Portland Fire and Rescue, as he held the propeller in his hand. He said the damage was from hitting things like rocks in the river.
Aside from charges related to the rescue boat, Knutson also faces charges from 2022 including reckless endangerment and eluding an officer.
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