A large boat sank off Hilton Head on Friday. Here’s what we know
A large boat sank off Hilton Head Island on Friday evening.
The vessel started taking on water in Skull Creek, according to photos from the scene. The boat, which appears to be named Miss Deborah, was tied up near Benny Hudson’s Seafood and Marine Tech off Squire Pope Road.
The S.C. Department of Natural Resources responded to the vessel and did not find signs of an oil spill, which poses an environmental threat, according to SCDNR spokesperson David Lucas.
The dock owners will need to work with the vessel’s owners to get it removed, Lucas said.
Contacted Saturday morning, Marine Tech said is did not own or manage the boat.
Two boats sank in the same area in 2016 during Hurricane Matthew. Neither has been salvaged.
The Beaufort County Sheriff’s Office was not called to the scene, according to spokesperson Maj. Bob Bromage. That means it’s unlikely that the sinking was a criminal offense or that anyone was on the boat.
Hilton Head Island Fire Rescue did not respond to the scene either, according to Fire Marshal Joheida Fister. There was no threat of a fire at the scene, she said.
This story was originally published May 30, 2020 at 10:25 AM.
