Police are looking for a 50-year-old man after his sailboat was found drifting on the lake in Whitby, Ont.
A boater traveling from Coburg, Ont., to Whitby saw a vessel drifting on Lake Ontario Tuesday three km south of the shoreline. He approached the 26-foot boat, which was older with a broken mast, and found a woman in distress. He then rescued the woman and brought her to the Whitby marina.
Police were called to the marina and paramedics transported the woman for treatment. She was later apprehended under the Mental Health Act, which permits police to apprehend someone if an officer has reasonable grounds to believe the person is acting in a disorderly manner or if this person could harm him or herself or others.
Investigators believe the boat was being operated by Christopher Pinto from Oshawa, Ont., and they are concerned for his safety. He is known to sail between the Scarborough Bluffs and Oshawa near the north shore of Lake Ontario, but he is not believed to be an experienced sailor. His connection with the woman found on the boat is unknown.
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Christopher Pinto’s description is as follows: male, white, 5′ 11″, a scruffy appearance with long, dark hair, and a long, brown beard with a white patch in the centre of the beard.
The boat has not been reported missing or stolen.
Police ask anyone with information regarding Pinto’s whereabouts to contact their local police service. In Durham, people can reach the lead investigator, Det. McFarlane of Central West Division, by calling 1-888-579-1520 ext. 1835.
Anonymous tips can be sent to Crime Stoppers at 1-800-222-TIPS (8477) or online at www.durhamregionalcrimestoppers.com. Tipsters may be eligible for a $2,000 cash reward.
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