VERO BEACH — A visibly upset man stormed out of the Mulligan’s restaurant in Central Beach Thursday and swam out to sea where he treaded water some 200 yards from the shore for more than two hours before surrendering to the US Coast Guard at 7:13 p.m.
Police and witnesses said the man, who was later identified as Richard M. Johnston, 54, of New York.
Johnston had been shaking a cane in the air when he left Mulligan’s and was causing a bit of a scene when he let off a torrent of four-letter words before heading into the water at 5:04 p.m.
Firefighters tried without luck to get Johnston to come aboard a vessel. And when Johnston made threatening comments, the Coast Guard was called in.
Police said the Coast Guard threw him a flotation device and he used it to stay afloat while continuing to refuse coming aboard.
For the next 90 minutes the Coast Guard positioned its boat close to Johnston and waited for him to give up.
He gave up at 7:13 p.m. and was pulled into the boat.
The Coast Guard then transported him to St. Lucie County where he was expected to be arrested on charges of disorderly conduct and obstruction of justice.
Johnston refused to give his address to authorities, though his driver’s license lists it as New York, NY.
