Boat crash at Lake Berryessa

By MARSHA DORGAN
Register Staff Writer

Sunday was not a good day at Lake Berryessa for Frank Ross Capriato.

The Fairfield resident not only watched his expensive power boat reduced to scrap, he also ended up at the county jail booked on two felony charges.

Capriato’s string of bad luck started around 4 p.m., Sunday when sheriff’s boat deputies responded to a call of an unoccupied speed boat going around in circles at the lake in the Putah Creek area.

Capriato, who owns the 31-foot twin-prop vessel, later told deputies he and his three passengers were thrown from the boat while doing a turning movement, sheriff’s Capt. John Robertson said.

They were able to get out of the way of the boat, which started spinning in circles, reaching speeds up to 35 to 40 miles per hour, Robertson said.

When deputies showed up, Capriato and his friends had been rescued by another boater.

Boat deputies attempted to drive the power boat off course by making a wake.

The boat finally broke loose from its circular pattern and, luckily, instead of heading to shore, it made a beeline to a nearby unoccupied island, Robertson said.

The boat blasted to the shore and came to rest.

As deputies approached the damaged vessel, Capriato told them there was a loaded handgun aboard, Robertson said.

A search of the boat not only turned up the firearm, deputies also found a small amount of methamphetamine inside Capriato’s pants pocket, Robertson said, adding, they also discovered ammunition aboard the boat.

Brett Wiskur of Martinez got a front row seat to watch all the action.

“My wife, dog and I were in our Zodiac just coming out of Putah Creek when we saw this speed boat doing circles in the lake. The deputies’ boat was also there. After getting a safe distance, we tied up with another boat and watched the inevitable happen,” Wiskur told the Register on Monday.

“The deputies created a wake to get the speed boat off its circular course. The boat shot to the shore. The engine revved up and the motor blew,” Wiskur said.

Capriato, 57, was arrested on suspicion of possession of meth and a loaded firearm.

Detectives are investigating if he was in possession of prohibited ammunition as well, Robertson said.

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