Boat stuck on Hilton Head Island was towed to marsh, marina says
A boat stuck in a marsh on Hilton Head Island was towed there from a nearby marina after it started to take on water last week, according to a statement from the marina's staff.
Staff at Palmetto Bay Marina helped tow the boat to a marsh on Broad Creek on Nov. 27, three days after the marina staff noticed the boat was taking on water "at an alarming rate," according to a statement provided to The Island Packet.
The statement said the marina staff made the decision to remove the boat after the owner made little effort to rectify the situation. The marina provided the boat's owner with a bilge pump to remove water and expected him to stop the boat from taking on water.
The boat's owner burned out the bilge pump and did nothing to try to stop the vessel from taking on water, the statement said.
"We expected (him) to address this immediately to prevent the sinking of his boat but he didn't," the statement read.
Believing the boat to be a hazard to others docked at the marina if it capsized, the harbormaster called the U.S. Coast Guard for assistance. On Nov. 27, marina staff helped the boat's owner remove personal items from the boat, which was then towed to a muddy area of Broad Creek accessible to the Coast Guard and a towing company to assist, the statement said.
A towing company assessed the boat this week, but is waiting for payment before moving the boat, the marina said the statement.
S.C. Department of Health and Environmental Control spokeswoman Cassandra Harris said the agency was aware of the stuck boat and was in contact with the owner. Harris said the owner was actively trying to salvage the boat and DHEC that would continue to monitor the removal of the boat from the marsh.
Follow reporter Matt McNab at twitter.com/IPBG_Matt.
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This story was originally published December 3, 2015 at 4:06 PM with the headline "Boat stuck on Hilton Head Island was towed to marsh, marina says."