Police and Agency Partners Respond to Partially-Sunken Vessel in Lake Washington

August 31, 2022 - Early this morning, NORCOM Dispatch received a marine incident call reporting a sinking vessel in Lake Washington near the 5300 block of East Mercer Way. Mercer Island Police Department officers responded to the scene and discovered a partially submerged vessel with no signs of any occupants. Renton Fire and Mercer Island Fire also responded to assist, sending divers into the water to verify that no people were on board the vessel.

The vessel is currently stable, however a small amount of marine fuel was present on the water surface in the immediate vicinity of where it was discovered. Mercer Island Police contacted the Department of Ecology (DOE), Environmental Protection Agency (EPA), and the US Coast Guard to report the vessel and advise on the situation. The EPA responded with a contracted dive team to tow the boat to a shallower area and install temporary plugs to ensure the vessel does not leak additional fluids into the lake. The dive team also tested for the presence of fluorocarbons, with none detected.

The EPA and its dive team have subsequently secured the vessel in a stable location just south of the Newcastle Boat Launch, where it will remain until it can be removed from the lake. Because no registered owner could be found for the boat, it has been classified as a derelict vessel and will be removed by the Department of Natural Resources (DNR). The EPA and its dive team will be removing all fuel stored in the vessel's tanks while it awaits removal.

Please be aware this vessel may remain in the water while removal efforts are underway, however it is secure.