Jurien Bay, Benjamin Jack McLaughlin: Naked man acting ‘erratically’ on boat a short distance from where body was discovered in burned-out car is charged following dramatic sea rescue.
A man who was rescued naked from the ocean north of Perth has been charged by police as they investigate any potential links to a body found nearby in a burnt-out car.
The white Mitsubishi Pajero was found on fire off Indian Ocean Drive, between Cervantes and Jurien Bay, more than 200km north of Perth, in the early hours of Tuesday morning.
A body was found in the car later that day.
Meanwhile, on Tuesday morning, Benjamin Jack McLaughlin, 20, was seen behaving erratically in a boat drifting in the water off Cervantes Pier, near a submerged small red car.
He ended up in the water and had to be rescued by a fishing boat, before being taken into police custody and taken for medical treatment.
Benjamin Jack McLaughlin (pictured), who was rescued naked from the ocean, has been charged by police as they investigate any links to a body found nearby in a burnt-out car.
McLaughlin, 20, was seen acting erratically in a boat drifting in the water off Cervantes Pier, near a small red car (pictured) which was submerged.
On Thursday, McLaughlin appeared in the Perth Magistrates Court charged with sinking vessels, assaulting a public officer, assaulting a person assisting a public officer and obstructing public officers.
It was revealed in court that the Hamilton Hill man was naked during the alleged incident on Tuesday morning.
He was released on bail ahead of his next court appearance on November 16.
His bail conditions include a ban on coming within 50 km of Cervantes.
No charges have been laid following the discovery of the body in the burned-out Pajero, with the remains yet to be identified.
WA Police Detective Senior Sergeant Greg McDonald said police were investigating whether Mr McLaughlin’s incident and the Pajero were linked.
He revealed the Pajero left Hamilton Hill, in Perth’s southern suburbs, around 9pm on Monday and must have been speeding to reach Cervantes when it was discovered on fire.
Police are seeking dashcam footage of vehicles traveling in both directions along Indian Ocean Drive between 9 p.m. Monday and 12:30 a.m. Tuesday, or news of anyone who may have seen the Pajero speeding or driving from irregular manner.
Human remains were found in a car that was on fire when police encountered it along Indian Ocean Dr, near the coastal town of Jurien Bay, around 12:30 a.m. Tuesday.
A white Mitsubishi Pajero (pictured) was found on fire off Indian Ocean Drive, between Cervantes and Jurien Bay, 200km north of Perth, in the early hours of Tuesday morning.
