Canadian Coast Guard officials say the owner of a boat found washed ashore on White Rock's East Beach Monday morning (July 14) has been identified, and the boat itself poses no immediate danger.
Reported to the Marine Environmental and Hazards Response (MEHR) program, the fishing vessel was found "hard aground" just west of Grand Chief Bernard Robert Charles Memorial Plaza.
Vic Davis alerted Peace Arch News to the boat on Monday morning, noting there was no sign of occupants.
While it was attracting the attention of some people on the beach and passersby on the promenade, the boat appeared deserted. Its grounding does not appear to have been related to a distress call.
Tuesday morning (July 15), Coast Guard/Fisheries and Oceans Canada communications advisor Anna Muselius relayed to PAN that aside from the owner's identity, "currently known" information on the vessel includes that it has been assessed by the MEHR program and "does not pose a navigational hazard."
In addition, no sign of related pollution was observed.
The Coast Guard will work with the owner "to determine next steps," Muselius added, noting any costs associated with addressing problem vessels 鈥� including any costs of cleanup or repair undertaken by the federal government as a result 鈥� are the responsibility of the owner.
