Update: Abandoned May River dock could soon be removed

An abandoned party dock that some Bluffton residents consider a potentially dangerous eyesore could soon be removed.

The dock is partially buried in the May River sandbar, a popular place for locals to gather.

Captain Gentry Thames of the S.C. Department of Natural Resources law enforcement division said he has received complaints about the dock for months, but that there is little he can do.

Because the dock is not a "registered or documented vessel," state laws relating to the removal of abandoned watercraft do not apply. Therefore public funds can't be used for removal, he said.

However, Thames said he has recently been approached by some local residents who have expressed a willingness to use their own equipment and manpower to remove the dock.

"I can't give a definite date of removal, but I hope to have this thing resolved within the next week or two," he said.

Meanwhile, the dock remains unpopular with many locals.

A Facebook post by a user identified as Lawson Lowrey derided it as a "piece of junk" and a "navigational hazard."

That post has been shared on Facebook nearly 650 times as of Monday afternoon.

"It really is dangerous," Bluffton resident Nickey Maxie said Monday. "And if someone were to climb on it and get hurt, who would be responsible?"

Annelore Harrell, whose home backs up to the river near the abandoned dock, agrees.

"My initial and main concern has always been ... safety," she said. "(The dock) needs to be removed."

Thames said in addition to the safety and aesthetic problems, the dock also contributes to erosion of the sandbar.

"As the tide works its way around (the dock), it creates an erosion effect and some of the sand is washed away," he said.

On Facebook

Follow reporter Lucas High on Twitter at twitter.com/IPBG_Lucas.

This story was originally published September 28, 2015 at 12:14 PM with the headline "Update: Abandoned May River dock could soon be removed."