Deputies: Thieves Working By Boat On Lake Hartwell

By: Robin Kanady | WSPA
Published: May 30, 2011

Deputies are patrolling the waters for thieves on boats. On Lake Hartwell, there have been a string of thefts from docks and break-ins to lake houses.

Normally deputies patrol by car, but now they are getting around the same way the criminals do....by boat.

Detective Rusty Ables with the Anderson County Sheriff’s Office says, “They (the thieves) slide right in, like they belong.”

Ables says there have been about 40 thefts from boat docks and about seven break-ins to lake houses on Lake Hartwell in less than two months.

Ables says, “That's unusually high.”

Ables says the criminals take electronics from homes. And other times, they don't even get out of the water. Ables says, “They'll come by (casing an area), see something like this…they've got multiple boats at the dock.”

At night, Ables says the thieves come back to the boat to load up. He says they’re stealing, “depth finders, fishing rods…anything you can take off it (the boat), lifejackets, skis.”

In a couple cases, Ables says they stole the whole boat, took it to a cove, and stripped off the parts. He says, “It's kinda like what they do to a car, strip the tires, wheels for motor parts.”

Bill Hummers has a lake house at one of the areas thieves have targeted. Hummers says, “We just take steps to secure our valuables.”

He does not live on the lake full-time, so he relies on his neighbors. Hummers says, “They (his neighbors) kinda keep an eye out. If there's anything unusual…cars parked on the driveway, they'll call us.”

Deputies say thieves have also been stealing GPS and other navigational tools, so they say just like in a car, take these items with you when you leave the lake.

Ables says, “People will steal anything that's not nailed down.” He says just because you're having fun on the lake doesn't mean you should let your guard down for the criminals.

Deputies made two arrests recently connected to the boat dock thefts. But they say the thefts have continued, and they believe a large number of criminals may be working together.