Conservation officers made quick work of their search for three men who allegedly broke into a Maugerville home during the worst flood in recent memory and tried to get away by canoe.

The three men were found stuck in a whirlpool, shouting for help, not far from the scene of the alleged crime, conservation officer Shane Hellyer testified Wednesday at the trial of Brandon Drew Hatchard.

They were spinning, and "trying" to paddle, said Hellyer, who had joined two others in a motorized boat to search for the men.

"They were yelling to us for help."

House surrounded by water

Hatchard, 29, of Perth Andover is on trial for break and enter and possession of a stolen canoe.

He was arrested May 6 along with two other men after homeowner Mark (Markus) Harvey reported people breaking into his home on Route 105, which was surrounded by floodwater from the St. John River at the time.

Hellyer estimated it took only five minutes to find the three men just off the highway.

They were shouting and shivering in an eddy, or whirlpool, which he said was created by floodwaters bouncing off the sides of houses.

"Of course, they were in distress," Hellyer said. "So we came up, got to the boat very safely, and they were asking us if we could tow them to the launch."

The officers used their radio to let the RCMP know they had found the men, and RCMP arrived shortly after.

All three were wet from head to toe and without life jackets, which is "very dangerous," Hellyer said, because on May 5 and 6 the water was at its highest.

He and the two other people on the rescue boat were wearing full-body "survival suits," which would allow them to float safely in the water for up to two hours.

"It was so dangerous. … We wanted to take that extra precaution."

Hatchard, 29, is the only one of the three men not in custody. He has to live with his parents while his case goes through the courts. (CBC News)

Close encounter

Homeowner Harvey testified he woke up at around 5 a.m. on May 6 and saw a flashlight in his stairway. He said he called out and heard a voice call back that he must evacuate the house.

He looked outside and saw the water level hadn't changed and became suspicious.

He said, "Why the [expletive] should I evacuate?" Then he heard multiple people flee his home and get into a canoe and paddle away.

"I have three sons who run around my house and this was more noise," he said.

The court was presented with several photos Harvey took of figures paddling away.

Harvey said he did not see any faces but could tell the voice that called up to him belonged to a man.

He was alone that night because his family had decided to leave when the water rose. Harvey said he wanted to stay to help neighbours and check on his mother and cousin's properties nearby.

Other witnesses

Gwen Moxon, one of the owners of the Country Pumpkin in Maugerville, said that on May 6 at around 5:30 a.m. she got a call from her son Jason saying she should look out for people in a canoe.

She saw three men paddling down the flooded area behind her house and took photos. Her husband also spoke to them but did not confront them.

Her photos did not clearly show anyone's face.

Hayden Lloyd, grandfather to Travis Lloyd Hunt, another of the men accused, said he noticed his red canoe was missing at around 10 a.m. on May 6.

When he saw that paddles were taken from the shed, he suspected his grandson had taken the canoe because he had access to the shed keys.

Chance Arthur Leslie, 25, of Middle Hainesville has already pleaded guilty to break and enter and possession of a stolen canoe, as well as to breach of probation. His sentencing is scheduled for Sept. 12.

Hunt's trial is set for late August.