32-foot boat sinks in Grand Traverse Bay

Jun. 20--TRAVERSE CITY -- A 32-foot cruiser with 10 people on board sank in Grand Traverse Bay Friday afternoon, but no injuries were reported, a local harbormaster said.

"They had an emergency distress call, and at first they said they were over by Manitou and then they said no, they were by Power Island," said the harbormaster of Elmwood Township Marina, Pete Moon.

When Moon contacted the Leelanau Sheriff's office, and learned their marine officers were all on inland lakes, he said he called the Coast Guard and then responded himself.

The Coast Guard sent a helicopter, lowered a rescue swimmer who boarded the boat, Moon said.

Before those on board could be evacuated, the boat took on more water, the bulkhead submerged, and they had no choice but to get into the water, which Moon estimated was as cold as 45 degrees.

All 10 people were taken by the Coast Guard to Clinch Park Marina, where they were met by EMS as a precautionary measure, Moon said.

The boat went down in 145 feet of water and will need to be raised, Moon said.

"Its not an NTSB thing," Moon said, referring to the National Transportation Safety Board, which responds to commercial shipping accidents, "but they'll have to take it out."

"I hope they have insurance to cover that," he added. "They'll have to send down a deep-water diver and float it to the surface."

Moon said this time of year, boats that have been winterized are being put in the water for the first time since last summer or fall. It isn't uncommon to forget a fitting or to have a hose with a leak.

"I'm not saying that's what happened here, but I didn't see any damage that would have made that boat go down," he said.

Moon did not have the boat owners' names, or the name of the boat or its registration number, but estimated it was at least 20 years old.

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