NORFOLK, Va. — Investigators from Coast Guard Sector Hampton Roads have determined that a sunken boat four miles northwest of Little Creek Inlet is a derelict, and the Coast Guard is no longer treating this incident as a search and rescue case.
Crewmembers aboard the motor vessel Relentless reported seeing the boat in the vicinity of Thimble Shoal Channel to watchstanders at Sector Hampton Roads at 11 a.m. Friday. Coast Guard, Navy and local rescue crews responded to the scene to search for potential survivors. Divers and a remotely operated vehicle were also dispatched to determine more information about the submerged craft.
The divers reported that the boat had heavy marine growth on its hull and was missing its engine block, floorboards and wiring.
The divers’ survey of the boat also determined that it is too large to be removed by the 25-foot Response Boats-Small or the 47-foot Motor Lifeboats located at nearby Coast Guard Station Little Creek. The site of the derelict has been marked as a hazard to navigation, and Coast Guard Sector Hampton Roads watchstanders issued a notice to mariners. The Army Corps of Engineers is developing a salvage plan to remove the craft within 48 hours.
