A big controversy over a small boat came to an end Monday when a fed-up marina owner towed the vessel to shore.
The boat in question had been in Lake Erie off of Long Point since July 9, when it was brought out for the Pottahawk boat party.
After it started to sink during the party, another boat helped bring it to shore. It was then left behind after the party. Without an anchor to keep it in place, it started to float around – attracting concern from people on shore like Jean Clement.
“If somebody runs into it, it’s not going to be very good,” Clement said.
“They could get hurt.”
George Summers, who owns the Old Cut Marina, tried to get someone to come and take the boat away.
He first called the Canadian Coast Guard, who directed him to the Ontario Provincial Police. Police redirected Summers back to the Coast Guard. Another call to the Coast Guard suggested that Transport Canada might be better equipped to deal with the boat. A Transport Canada spokesperson did not respond to a request for comment from CTV News before this story was published.
“It’s almost like nobody knows what’s going on,” Summers said.
Summers thought about taking in the boat himself, but concluded that he couldn’t put his business at risk for a potential fuel leak or other damaging incident.
“The minute (I) take responsibility for that vessel, it’s now my vessel,” he said.
By Monday – the eighth day of the boat’s aimless journey in the water – it had somehow overturned.
A Gofundme page was created in an attempt to raise $9,000 to bring in a private company to get rid of the boat.
“Time is critical to ensure the vessel does not break free and drift into open water or slip below the surface where navigating around will become impossible,” a post on the fundraiser page reads.
Finally, the owner of a separate marina entered the water, flipped the boat right-side up, bailed it out and towed it back to shore.
By way of explanation, he said that he was tired of hearing all the complaints about the boat.
With reporting by Abigail Bimman
