VERO BEACH — Neighboring boaters awoke to a 33-foot Carver boat that sank at the Vero Beach Marina.
The boat had been derilict for a couple of years, according to Tim Grabenbauer, marina director.
“Not that I want this to happen, but I’d rather this happen than a fire,” said Grabenbauer.
Steven Wilinski lives on the boat next to the one that sank and said that it was still afloat around 9 p.m. Saturday.
“Somehow overnight,” said Wilinski of the cause of the sunken boat.
The Coast Gaurd was on scene overseeing the sunken boat’s removal.
“It happens quite often during the rainy season,” said Darrel Wieland, chief marine science technician.
As workers from Tow Boat U.S. worked to raise the boat, others watched from the dock.
“A lot of people won’t miss it,” said Bill Walker, past-Commodore of the Vero Beach Yacht Club.
The last boat that had sunk at the marina was during the hurricanes in 2004, according to Grabenbauer.
“We won’t know the cause until we get it up,” said Grabenbauer.
The marina was attempting to sell the boat; the first bid was just under $4,000, according to Grabenbauer.
“It’s gonna have a different outcome now,” he said.
The boat is set to be towed to another marina in Fort Pierce.
When the Coast Guard responds to sunken vessels, the first priority is safety, then protecting the environment. In this case, officials wanted to protect the mangroves as chemicals leaked from the boat.
People are urged to call 1-800-424-8802, the National Response Center, to report boats that have sunk.
