Serviceability of sunken sheriff’s vessel remains undetermined

By Soncirey Mitchell
Reader Staff

A patrol rescue boat belonging to the Bonner County Sheriff Marine Division is out of commission following a July incident of “rough seas,” during which the vessel sank while docked at Garfield Bay. As of Aug. 21, the vessel was still being vetted to determine whether it should be repaired or replaced.

Bonner County Sheriff’s vessel Marine 2 after taking on water the morning of July 25. Photo courtesy of Facebook.

According to Deputy Sheriff Craig Ross’ incident report, obtained by the Reader through a public records request, a citizen reported the vessel Marine 2 taking on water the morning of July 25. By the time responding officers arrived with a trailer and dewatering pump, the starboard side of the boat was already submerged.

“We arrived on scene and determined we didn’t have the proper equipment to re-float it. There were no signs of hazmat in the water… We later secured some absorbent boom from local fire houses and placed [it] around the vessel to ensure no fuel and/or oil could escape the area,” wrote Ross in the report.

Naples-based C. E. Kramer Crane & Contracting arrived the following day, retrieving and drying the boat over a period of about six hours for $2,725.50.

The county purchased the 21-foot Almar Patrol Rescue Boat from the Clearwater County Sheriff’s Department in 1994 for $28,000, which included the trailer, radar unit, light bar and P.A. system.

Investigators found no visible damage that would have caused the incident, and Marine Deputy John Leyendecker surveyed the available security footage and found no evidence of anyone tampering with the vessel, according to his report.

“With the assistance from Sam Lundram, owner of Lake City Marine [Services], it was determined the likely cause of the flooding was due to Marine 2 pitch pulling in rough seas, causing water to jettison up through the installed self-bailing scupper holes,” Ross wrote in his report. 

That created “a downflooding situation into the main deck storage compartment. Once enough water came in, the scupper holes dropped below the waterline and increased the rate of flooding,” he added.

Sheriff Daryl Wheeler indicated in an Aug. 21 email to the Reader that cost estimates for repairing or replacing Marine 2 will likely be available in the next “few days.”

“We are still waiting for additional assessments on the damage caused during that incident,” he said.