A Bethel Island man fled deputies in a stolen boat on the Sacramento-San Joaquin Delta on Friday, July 3, before the Contra Costa County Sheriff's Office used its helicopter and Marine Patrol Unit to track him down and make an arrest.

Edward W. Stiverson, 56, was booked into the Martinez Detention Facility on charges of vehicle theft, receiving stolen property, obstructing a peace officer and probation violation, according to a press release from Jimmy Lee, the Sheriff's Office director of public affairs. Stiverson is being held without bail.

The incident began when the Sheriff's Office received a report of a stolen boat on Bradford Island. The agency's STARR 3 helicopter located the vessel and directed Marine Patrol deputies and patrol units to the suspect, who had stopped the boat and was walking away from it.

When deputies tried to stop him, Stiverson ran back to the boat and took off.

He fled to nearby Bethel Island, where he lives, and hid under a dock house, according to the Sheriff's Office. Marine Patrol deputies arrived shortly after and searched the area until they found and arrested him.

The Sheriff's Office posted helicopter video of the pursuit on its Facebook page, where it drew tens of thousands of views. The footage, captured from STARR 3, shows the boat moving through Delta waterways before Stiverson docks and Marine Patrol closes in. It contains no audio.

The probation violation charge indicates Stiverson was already under court supervision at the time of the July 3 incident. Public arrest records show prior contacts with Contra Costa Sheriff's deputies and Antioch Police dating back to 2014, though arrest records do not indicate whether those earlier charges resulted in convictions.

The Sheriff's Office inmate locator lists Stiverson's next court date as Wednesday, September 30, 2026, at 8:30 a.m. in Delta Court, Pittsburg Department 4.

Residents who witness suspicious activity on Delta waterways can contact the Sheriff's Marine Services Unit at (925) 427-8507.