Suspicious submarine-type vessel in New York harbor

August 3, 2007

New York - A replica of the 1776 submersible known as the Turtle aroused police suspicion near the docked Queen Mary 2 in the East River of New York on Friday.

The vessel is an 8-foot replica of the 1776 submersible known as the Turtle, said Petty Officer Seth Johnson of the U.S. Coast Guard. It was unclear what the people were doing, he said, but he noted that the boat appears to be a hobby of one of those arrested -- Philip Riley, 35, of Brooklyn.

Although the Turtle and the inflatable raised suspicions, there was no indication of any connection to terrorism, Johnson said.

A New York Police Department statement said that "All three males are expected to be charged with a number of violations and both vessels will be secured by the (NYPD) Harbor Unit."

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