Russian national takes luxury yacht, leads Florida police on massive boat chase in attempt to flee to Bahamas

A Russian national is accused of stealing a massive luxury yacht and leading authorities in Florida on a boat chase as police feared he planned on fleeing to the Bahamas for a “smuggling venture.”

Nikolai Vilkov, 29, was arrested on May 5 after the Martin County Sheriff’s Office and other agencies had to use smaller boats to pin the stolen 68-foot, two-million-dollar yacht against the shoreline in Jupiter Island, Sheriff John Budensiek said in a press conference.

Budensiek said the “bizarre” ordeal started at around 1:07 a.m., when Vilkov is suspected of stealing a tow boat just hours before the chase.

Investigators found the suspect at the Lucky Shuck restaurant in Jupiter, then wandering around by the boats docked in the marina near the bar around 2 a.m.

His first boat-jacking ended when the vessel got stuck on a sandbar and he was forced to flee the scene and walk down US 1 Highway, Budensiek said.

Investigators said they lost sight of Vilkov’s whereabouts from 3 a.m. to 1 p.m. until he was spotted chatting with people at the Tiki 52 Bar & Grill near the Blowing Rocks Marina.