Missing ‘Swamp-Rat’ mystery solved

By Jeff Bunn
Capital Journal staff
Published/Last Modified on Friday, Jun 26, 2009 - 12:46:44 am CDT

PIERRE — It’s hard to imagine missing anything called Swamp-Rat, but local man Steve Malsam-Rysdon felt that pang this past weekend after his family duck boat was stolen.

Yet with the help of the culprits who stole and sank it in Hipple Lake and Steamboat Game and Fish’s marine salvage team, the Swamp-Rat made its way back to its owner Thursday morning.

“I figured somebody just stole it and took it to a farm pond,” said Malsam-Rysdon. “It’s the right size for a farm pond for stock fishing. I didn’t think I’d ever see it again to tell you the truth.”

Jeff Bunn | Capital Journal
Josh Gilkerson (left) and Josh Marbach pull a missing boat out of the water at Down’s Marina Thursday morning after finding it submerged in Hipple Lake. The boat, Swamp-Rat, was stolen and accidently sunk.
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Malsam-Rysdon said the last time he saw the Swamp-Rat was Friday night when it was to be used Saturday to retrieve floating golf balls from Hipple Lake as part of a South Dakota Discovery Center chipping contest during Oahe Days.

“It was still there,” said Malsam-Rysdon. “It had an electric trolling motor on it, and the battery was up underneath the canopy and sometime during that night some people came down, got into the boat and started horsing around.”

That horsing around translated into the boat being taken for an apparent joy ride and tipping over not far from where the Capital City Queen is docked.

A notice was put in the Capital Journal Monday for the boat that has been in Malsam-Rysdon’s family for at least 15 years and Monday morning some unexpected visitors paid Malsam-Rysdon a visit at work.

“They told me they basically took off for a joy ride, and two of them leaned over too far in the boat and basically sunk the boat,” he said.

The joy-riders were not identified and presumably not harmed in the accident. Malsam-Rysdon said he does not intend to press criminal charges but expects to be compensated for a new trolling motor, battery and aluminum paddle, all of which he estimates will cost $1,000.

“I was young at one point too — kids being kids, I guess,” he said.

Josh Gilkerson, co-owner of Steamboat Fish and Game, said pulling the 10-foot john-boat from the 11-foot depth was no great feat, compared to bigger items Steamboat pulls out of the water across the state.

“We pretty much found it on our first swipe,” said Gilkerson. “We saw on our side scanning sonar a boat and figured this is probably it.”

Malsam-Rysdon said he will now concentrate on restoring the family boat named for navigating shallow bodies of water during duck-hunting season.

“I’m hoping to get the Swamp-Rat back in working condition,” he said.

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Comments

9 comment(s)

S.O.S. wrote on Jul 14, 2009 10:19 AM:

" I wonder if the people who injured the horse were given a break earlier in life, now thinking they could get away with yet another bad decision. I still think it was a little like a "time out". Those kids know that by just saying "Oh I am sorry", it gets them off the hook. And then they reapeat it and say sorry again. Those kids that face serious consequences and pay for their injustice, they learn right away. If you spare the rod you spoil the child! "

Consequences wrote on Jul 10, 2009 3:07 PM:

" In an ideal world, when someone does something wrong, the punishment should fit the crime, so to speak. A couple of kids made a poor choice, sank a boat, then made a great choice and confessed. Their punishment was the humiliation of coming forward and will also be in the form of replacing what was damaged. No need to throw them in jail and lock them away. The point of punishment is deterence and education. I think these kids get it and it sounds like a fitting consequence to me. "

wow.... wrote on Jul 1, 2009 11:49 AM:

" Great to see people taking responsibility for something they knew was wrong, but decided to swallow hard and own up. I'm sure they feel better inside too. It's hard to tell the truth, but better for everyone in the end. "

they fessed up wrote on Jul 1, 2009 4:24 AM:

" Steve could have easily turned these people into the Law, but he didn't!!! Maybe because he was once young and did things he regretted at other peoples expense, and or, he just felt that the guilty fessing up to their actions was a very sincere act on their part in this event. I'm sure they have learned from this, and really appreciate him for not turning them in, as well as him appreciating their honesty for what really happened to the Swamp-Rat!! Case Closed "

To S.O.S. wrote on Jun 29, 2009 8:27 AM:

" The kids took responsibility when they fessed up! Believe it or not, people can learn their lessons WITHOUT having to involve the legal system. Sounds to me like there are some parents who are doing their job!! *clapping* We've all done something or other that was against better judgement but doesn't neccesarily mean we were bad seeds! Give em break!! Good for you, Steve. Glad to see SOMEONE using common sense. "

To Common Sense wrote on Jun 29, 2009 6:13 AM:

" Sounds like they owned up to and are taking full responsibility for it. It doesn't get any better than that. I agree with you 100%. "

ft pierre resident wrote on Jun 26, 2009 3:37 PM:

" I am glad to see that the kids confessed to taking the boat. And I agree that no charges should be pressed as long as they replace what was lost. "

Common Sense wrote on Jun 26, 2009 10:14 AM:

" Glad to see someone in the United States stil has some sense. Pranks have been committed since creation. Why involve courts, lawyers, jails in poor judgement that was confessed and payment made. "

S.O.S. wrote on Jun 26, 2009 8:44 AM:

" By not wanting to press charges sends the wrong message! Now these kids think they got away with stealing. Not to mention someone could have drown. Future problems could occur had the boat not been found causing serious problems, injury, or death. All consequences should be considered. Saying kids will be kids opens the door to all kinds of serious trouble they could get into. Today its a swamp rat - tomorrow its a car - and then who knows. "

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