Update: Man found soaking wet and intoxicated on drifting boat in Norwich is arrested

Police cordon off part of Norwich riverside on Saturday, February 2

David Freezer Saturday, February 2, 2013
3:42 PM

Police have arrested a man on suspicion of the theft of a boat after finding him soaking wet and intoxicated on a boat floating adrift in central Norwich.

Police cordon off part of Norwich riverside on Saturday, February 2

A cordoned-off stretch of around 30m of walkway running parallel with Riverside Road, close to the junction with Rosary Road, was being guarded by two police officers at each end this afternoon.

Police were alerted to the small blue and white yacht drifting on the River Wensum at around 12.15pm.

The boat, named Vagabond, shortly afterwards drifted to the riverbank allowing officers to board, where they found the 19-year-old man on board “soaking wet, intoxicated and suffering from hypothermia”, a spokesman said

The man was then taken by ambulance to the Norfolk and Norwich University hospital for treatment, where he remains in a stable condition.

Police cordon off part of Norwich riverside on Saturday, February 2

No other people were on board the yacht and police are now making inquiries into what happened. Anyone with information about the incident should call the non-emergency 101 number.