Since we have an abandoned floating vessel, does the man on the end of the rope have salvage rights
Many, many years ago a pilot was forced to ditch his 206 because of an embarrassment over fuel (a long, long story itself and showed failures of info in the flight manual - so not the pilots fault he found himself in the situation). Aircraft was fitted with floats and a passing fishing boat towed the aircraft to port where upon the boat owner stored the aircraft in his yard and claimed salvage rights. Pilot informed the boat owner that the aircraft had to be run every few days otherwise things would seize up making the aircraft valueless. It was arranged that the pilot would fuel up the helo and carry out the necessary ground runs. After fuelling and starting up the pilot flew away leaving behind a hapless boat owner.
Moral. Don't trust pilots.
Story told by the pilot concerned to the crewroom.