A missing 17-year-old paddleboarder was found drunk and high on a sailboat near Fort Myers Beach with a registered sex offender who is now facing charges.Deputies arrested Worden Bourn, 63, after they say he gave the teen alcohol and marijuana aboard his catamaran-style sailboat.According to investigators, the teen, Peter Campanella, told Bourn he was underage, but Bourn is accused of offering him booze and weed, and telling him not to tell his parents. Campanella is being identified since he was named as a missing person, and his disappearance prompted a public search.The teen was found Sunday night, disoriented and intoxicated, and taken to Golisano Children’s Hospital for treatment.Bourn is a registered sex offender with a previous case out of Alaska. While there are no current accusations of sexual abuse, Lee County deputies say their Sexual Offender and Predator Unit is reviewing whether Bourn violated any terms of his registration.The teen had been reported missing earlier that evening after paddleboarding off Bunche Beach. His family called 911 when he didn’t return by sunset.Search and rescue crews swept the water from Bunche Beach to the back bay near Matanzas Pass. Several employees from a local kayak and tour company, Tiki Pub Fort Myers Beach, also joined the search, launching boats and shining spotlights through mangrove tunnels.”A lot of us live right here, and we love the water anyway, so we figured, come out and if we can help out anybody, we try to,” said Ty Hill, with Tiki Pub Fort Myers Beach. “That’s kind of scary to me. I mean, there’s a lot of people out here, and usually everybody’s so nice.”Deputies later spotted the teen’s paddleboard tied to a sailboat anchored behind Fort Myers Beach. “No matter where you’re at in the world, you can find people that are going to do things like that,” said Hill. “Just don’t go on other people’s boats and mind your own business.”A search of the boat turned up a small container with 12.5 grams of marijuana.Bourn is now facing charges in connection to providing drugs to a minor. DOWNLOAD the free Gulf Coast News app for your latest news and alerts on breaking news, weather, sports, entertainment, and more on your phone or tablet. And check out the Very Local Gulf Coast app to stream news, entertainment and original programming on your TV.
FORT MYERS BEACH, Fla. —
A missing 17-year-old paddleboarder was found drunk and high on a sailboat near Fort Myers Beach with a registered sex offender who is now facing charges.
Deputies arrested Worden Bourn, 63, after they say he gave the teen alcohol and marijuana aboard his catamaran-style sailboat.
According to investigators, the teen, Peter Campanella, told Bourn he was underage, but Bourn is accused of offering him booze and weed, and telling him not to tell his parents. Campanella is being identified since he was named as a missing person, and his disappearance prompted a public search.
The teen was found Sunday night, disoriented and intoxicated, and taken to Golisano Children’s Hospital for treatment.
Bourn is a registered sex offender with a previous case out of Alaska. While there are no current accusations of sexual abuse, Lee County deputies say their Sexual Offender and Predator Unit is reviewing whether Bourn violated any terms of his registration.
The teen had been reported missing earlier that evening after paddleboarding off Bunche Beach. His family called 911 when he didn’t return by sunset.
Search and rescue crews swept the water from Bunche Beach to the back bay near Matanzas Pass. Several employees from a local kayak and tour company, Tiki Pub Fort Myers Beach, also joined the search, launching boats and shining spotlights through mangrove tunnels.
“A lot of us live right here, and we love the water anyway, so we figured, come out and if we can help out anybody, we try to,” said Ty Hill, with Tiki Pub Fort Myers Beach. “That’s kind of scary to me. I mean, there’s a lot of people out here, and usually everybody’s so nice.”
Deputies later spotted the teen’s paddleboard tied to a sailboat anchored behind Fort Myers Beach.
“No matter where you’re at in the world, you can find people that are going to do things like that,” said Hill. “Just don’t go on other people’s boats and mind your own business.”
A search of the boat turned up a small container with 12.5 grams of marijuana.
Bourn is now facing charges in connection to providing drugs to a minor.
DOWNLOAD the free Gulf Coast News app for your latest news and alerts on breaking news, weather, sports, entertainment, and more on your phone or tablet. And check out the Very Local Gulf Coast app to stream news, entertainment and original programming on your TV.