Sailor Who Rescued America's Cup Yacht Demands $200k

The sailor who rescued a runaway America's Cup boat from the rocks on Treasure Island is now demanding a cut of the treasure.

Todd Tholke is using maritime law to demand the French owners of an America's Cup World Series catamaran he rescued on Sept. 30 pay him $200,000, according to the San Francisco Chronicle.

The boat somehow slipped its moorings and drifted to Treasure Island, where Tholke spotted it during the middle of the night. He towed it back to the French team, who then graciously thanked him and offered him a ride on the racing vessel, according to the newspaper.

Instead, the French team received a summons from U.S. District Court, where Tholke's lawyers had invoked 19th-century maritime salvage rules to claim either a reward or the boat itself, the newspaper reported.

The two sides appear headed to court, the newspaper reported.