A boat owner got a jolt Friday as he launched his vessel at Cattle Point and hit an SUV.
At about 10:30 a.m., the boat driver was reversing into the water at the launch when his boat struck a vehicle submerged in the water.
Oak Bay police were called and a tow truck arrived to haul the SUV out. Once it was on dry land, officers determined the SUV had been stolen from an address on Fern Street in Victoria, sometime in the previous two days. A rock had been used to weigh down the gas pedal in order to drive the vehicle off the boat launch.
Police have no suspects, said Const. Laurence Riel, but officers are working with the vehicle’s owner to come up with ideas.
“Once it gets in the water, most of the forensic (evidence) on the vehicle is gone because of the salt water,” he said.
The vehicle was likely submerged in the early hours of Friday, as it would have been easily spotted at low tide, Riel said.
The boat was not damaged.
ecardone@vicnews.com