On September 27 some good decision making and swift action helped contain the damage from a sunken boat. The 35-foot Silverton motor yacht had been entering Eagle Harbor a little before 3 in the afternoon. There were 7 adults and 6 children on board. The owner of the vessel heard what sounded like his propellers hitting rock.
The owner immediately tied up at the nearest dock, which was at Bainbridge Island Marina. He called police at 2:55. The vessel’s bilge pump was running and, after the passengers had disembarked and were safely on the dock, the bilge continued to fill with water and sank rapidly.
Officers Walt Berg, Ben Sias, and Mark Crowthers responded to the scene. They arrived within minutes, but by then only a portion of the bow was above water. The windlass had just submerged and was shorting out and smoking.
The owner told the officers that the boat contained about 150 gallons of gasoline.
Sias contacted the Coast Guard, which immediately sent inspectors from the Incident Management Division via ferry. The owner contacted his insurance company, and they declined to act. Petty Officer Third Class Katelyn Shearer said that the owner also contacted a diving salvage team, which was able to remove the remaining fuel before the end of the day. Shearer said only about 5 gallons leaked out.
Upon arrival, the Coast Guard assumed jurisdiction over the scene. The police officers concluded from their investigation, which wrapped up around 8 p.m., that the vessel had crossed through shallow waters at Wing Point and Tyee Shoal and struck the bottom. Shearer said the Coast Guard will be conducting its own investigation into the incident.
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Photo courtesy of Silverton Yachts.
