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A 38-foot U.S. Coast Guard photo |
The remains of a 38-foot pleasure craft are barely visible after the vessel, which grounded on the east breakwall inside Conneaut Harbor near Conneaut, Ohio, on Tuesday, broke apart and sank into Lake Erie July 24, 2014. The cause of the grounding is under investigation. U.S. Coast Guard photo courtesy of Coast Guard Station Ashtabula |
CLEVELAND – A 38-foot pleasure craft that became grounded on the east breakwall inside Conneaut Harbor near Conneaut, Ohio on Tuesday, broke apart and sank earlier today before the owner was able to salvage it.
Today a response boat crew from Coast Guard Station Ashtabula, Ohio, was requested to verify that the vessel was still on the wall. When they arrived on scene, they confirmed that the boat had broken up and sunk.
Members of Coast Guard Marine Safety Unit Cleveland will be opening a federal case, and is making arrangements with a contractor to remove any pollutants.
At 4:30 p.m., Tuesday, a watchstander at Coast Guard Station Ashtabula received notification via marine radio from a man who reported his boat had run aground on the breakwall.
A response boat crew launched from the station aboard a 25-foot response boat. Three passengers were removed safely from the vessel and there were no reports of any injuries.
When the response boat crew arrived on scene, several of the man’s friends were attempting to pull the boat off the wall with towlines from their boats. After an unsuccessful attempt, the man agreed to contact a commercial salvage company.
The commercial salvage crew was also unable to remove the vessel from the rocks, so the owner was required to present a salvage plan to the Coast Guard.
Coast Guard Marine Safety Unit Cleveland also responded to the grounding, and reported that there was no pollution at that time.
The cause of the grounding is under investigation and the Coast Guard will continue to monitor the situation.