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By The Associated Press

DURANT — The theft of a $700,000 boat led to a chase across Lake Texoma, a suspect being forced to swim to shore and two arrests.

Randy Gene Knight, 41, of Mead, and Henry Tyler Lee Allen, 18, of Bennington, were arrested on grand larceny accusations, the Bryan County sheriff's office said.

Sheriff's deputies said Drew Davis awoke Sunday morning in the Newberry Creek Resort area to the sound of his high-performance boat being started.

He ran down to the boat ramp and saw it being driven out of the cove, pulling a smaller boat allegedly occupied by another suspect.

The boat's owner asked a man who was unloading a boat to take him out so he could try to recover his boat.

The boat being towed filled with water, the tow strap broke, and the high-performance boat left.

Davis rode up to the sinking boat where the suspect tried to swim away, authorities said.

Davis said he whacked the suspect with a boat oar and told him to swim back to the resort, deputies said.

The man was held for authorities after he swam back to the resort. The second man was arrested when he was spotted walking out of some woods near the lake.

Authorities said he had abandoned the boat and fled into the woods after being chased by a lake patrol boat and becoming the focus of an air and ground search, including tracking dogs.

Both engines on the boat were blown and a hole was knocked in the hull.

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