Latest news with #Guyer
Yahoo
01-05-2025
- Yahoo
County hires salvage firm to remove Deep Thought from Lake Michigan shoreline next week
The boat plot thickens. After numerous attempts to rescue Deep Thought, the Chris-Craft Roamer that has been marooned in the Lake Michigan shoreline since Oct. 13, Jerry Guyer has been told his services are no longer needed. "I haven't given up," Guyer, the owner of Silo Marina told the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel. "The county told me to stop." According to Milwaukee County Supervisor Shelton Wasserman, the county signed a $55,000 contract with a Milwaukee-based company to remove the boat from where it is lodged 4 to 5 feet in the sandy shoreline of Lake Michigan between McKinley Marina and Bradford Beach. Weather permitting, the removal will happen May 6. Wasserman said the company has prior experience working with the county and picking up overturned semis on the highways. The name of the company has not yet been made public. Wasserman said the company will be bringing in equipment to pick the boat up and over the large boulders that form a barrier between the sandy beach and the beach's parking lot. Guyer's crew had been attempting to remove the boat by removing water and pulling it out of the sand, hoping to loosen it up and then pull it back into the water. Guyer's last attempt to remove Deep Thought was April 28. A pontoon he and his crew were using ended up getting broken and washing ashore in the process. Wasserman said the county will be paying for the boat's removal but hopes the county can be reimbursed for its efforts. The boat is on county property and its owners, Sherry and Richard Wells, left it after they ran out of gas. The Mississippi couple has expressed an inability to pay for its removal. To date, two donors have made donations to reimburse whomever removes the boat. This is another reason Guyer is concerned. Guyer did not have a contract with the city of Milwaukee, said Jeff Fleming, the Milwaukee mayor's spokesman, but he was put in contact with an anonymous donor. Guyer said he has spent $27,000 on salvage efforts. Now Guyer is worried he might not be reimbursed for his attempts, period. "The parks department does feel this new company is capable of removing it, and doing it in an environmentally safe way," Wasserman said. This article originally appeared on Milwaukee Journal Sentinel: Milwaukee County to remove Deep Thought from Lake Michigan May 6
Yahoo
30-04-2025
- General
- Yahoo
Second boat stuck on Lake Michigan shoreline with Deep Thought
There is now another broken-down vessel in need of rescue along Milwaukee's Lake Michigan shoreline. On April 28, Jerry Guyer, the owner of Silo Marina, once again attempted to salvage Deep Thought, a Chris-Craft Roamer, from its resting spot deep in the sand between McKinley Marina and Bradford Beach. In the process, a pontoon boat he and his salvage crew were using was washed up on the shoreline during evening storms, Guyer said. Guyer said it was bad enough that the storm pushed the pontoon up on the sand, where it is now resting between Deep Thought and the rocks, but one of the aluminum floaters has completely broke off, too, and is floating farther down the beach. "We are dealing with Mother Nature," Guyer told the Journal Sentinel on April 30. "That is always an unknown." Guyer said the mounting pressure, public interest and publicity documenting his efforts to salvage the boat, which has been stranded since Oct. 13 when its owners from Mississippi ran out of gas and headed back home, "doesn't really bother me too much." The pressure for him to get Deep Though removed amped up April 23. That's when Milwaukee Mayor Cavalier Johnson held a press conference, Guyer at his side, to announce an anonymous donor had come forward to pay for a portion of the cost to salvage the boat. At the time, Guyer had estimated he'd spent $20,000 on the effort. Now, he has the cost of a destroyed pontoon boat to add to the cost. It should be the responsibility of the boat owners to pay for its removal. But Sherry and Richard Wells have avoided phone calls and are no longer communicating with Guyer. In early April, Milwaukee County finally admitted the boat was lodged on its property. But no one from the county is stepping up with any solutions, other than to say county taxpayers will not foot the bill for the boat's removal. "It is the nature of the unknown," Guyer said of any salvage effort. "This thing has taken on a life of its own." Jessica Van Egeren is a reporter with the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel. She can be reached at jvanegeren@ This article originally appeared on Milwaukee Journal Sentinel: Pontoon boat joins Deep Thought on the shoreline of Lake Michigan
Yahoo
25-04-2025
- Politics
- Yahoo
People who abandon their boats in Wisconsin could face prison time under new bill
MADISON - Any boat owners who abandon their watercrafts for longer than a month could face prison time under a new bill two Wisconsin lawmakers are proposing in response to "Deep Thought," a deserted boat stuck for months near Milwaukee's Bradford Beach. State Sen. Rob Stafsholt, R-New Richmond, and state Rep. Shannon Zimmerman, R-River Falls, are circulating a bill among their legislative colleagues that would ban anyone from abandoning a boat in state waters or on adjacent land. "Unfortunately, there are those who do not respect our waterways," the lawmakers wrote in a memo released Friday to colleagues. More: Anonymous donor paying for Deep Thought's removal from Milwaukee shoreline Stafsholt and Zimmerman cited "Deep Thought" and a 54-foot yacht that was abandoned in the St. Croix River in 2024. "When boats are left abandoned, they become eyesores for local communities. Worse, they become environmental risks as they deteriorate and rust," the lawmakers wrote. "Any abandoned boat may be carrying fuel that can leak into a body of water." If a law enforcement officer determines a boat has been abandoned, the officer must notify the owner, who then must remove the boat within 30 days. If the boat is not removed by then, the owner faces up to nine months in prison and up to $10,000 fines, under the proposal. At that point, the owner must complete a safety course and receive a certificate of satisfactory completion from the state Department of Natural Resources in order to operate another boat in Wisconsin waters. Now somewhat of a Milwaukee icon with its own entry on Google Maps, Deep Thought became stranded on Oct. 13, 2024, when its owners, Richard and Sherry Wells of Mississippi, ran out of gas. The couple bought the boat in Manitowoc and intended to stay at McKinley Marina for two nights before navigating home. However, Richard said inadequate directions caused him to miss the entrance to the marina and the boat to get stuck. In October, U.S. Coast Guard officials said they wouldn't immediately try to remove the boat because no lives were in danger and the vessel didn't pose a risk of pollution or floating away. Officials said it would be the boat's owners' responsibility to pay a commercial towing and salvage company to remove it. As the months passed, Deep Thought became lodged deeper in the sand between McKinley Marina and Bradford Beach, then encased in ice sheets over the winter. Now, its exterior and interior are covered in graffiti, and most of its electronics have been picked over or destroyed. Jerry Guyer, owner of local salvage company Jerry's Silo Marina, has been trying to assist with the boat's removal since the fall. However, strong winds and eventually winter weather repeatedly delayed the process. The Wellses had been communicating with Guyer, but after several initial conversations, communication has gone "radio silent," Guyer has said. The proposal will be circulated for support until May 2 before being formally introduced. Claire Reid of the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel contributed to this report. Molly Beck can be reached at This article originally appeared on Milwaukee Journal Sentinel: Wisconsin lawmakers introduce bill to ban abandoning a boat
Yahoo
23-04-2025
- Business
- Yahoo
Who do you think helped pay to remove the abandoned boat from Lake Michigan shore? Share with us
Milwaukee Mayor Cavalier Johnson made a big announcement on April 23. An anonymous donor came forward to help pay $25,000 to salvage Deep Thought, the Chris-Crafter Roamer that has been lodged in the Lake Michigan shoreline since its owners ran out of gas and left it on Oct. 13. Johnson was accompanied by Jerry Guyer, the owner of Silo Marina, who has tried to move the boat several times before winter arrived, freezing the boat in a permanent sheet of ice. Guyer and his crew were ready to try again after the press conference. So who is stepping up to cover the cost of the boat's removal, essentially paying Guyer back for his efforts, if successful? We have some ideas. But we want to know what you think. Share your thoughts in the form below, and we'll publish the top posts in this story. This article originally appeared on Milwaukee Journal Sentinel: Share who you helped pay to remove the boat from Lake Michigan?
Yahoo
23-04-2025
- General
- Yahoo
Milwaukee's abandoned boat could be gone by the end of today thanks to an anonymous donor
An anonymous donor has stepped up to pay for at least part of the removal of Deep Thought, the abandoned boat that's been stuck near Milwaukee's Bradford Beach for more than six months, Milwaukee Mayor Cavalier Johnson said on Wednesday morning. Jerry Guyer, owner of local salvage company Jerry's Silo Marina, estimated the boat's removal will cost at least $25,000. Guyer's team began working to remove the boat around 7 a.m. on Wednesday. Guyer said the boat could be removed by the end of the day if the weather cooperates. Otherwise, he said his team will be back on Thursday morning. Johnson did not reveal much information about the donor but said they approached him a few weeks ago because they wanted to see "Milwaukee be the best city that it could possibly be." Although the boat is technically on Milwaukee County property, Johnson said it was important that the city collaborate given its location in the city. "It just has become an eyesore," the mayor said. "It's become ... a spot where danger could occur. There has been vandalism on the boat. Part of it has been broken off, glass is broken. Not to mention the environmental challenges." Johnson did not reveal how much money the donor provided but said he is "very grateful." The goal is for city and county taxpayers not to be impacted by the cost of Deep Thought's removal, Johnson said, and the donor's gift should make that possible. Guyer said costs have already hit the estimated $25,000 as of Wednesday. Guyer's team has been working to remove the boat since it was first stranded in October. He estimated they've put in around 100 hours trying to move it. He cited the boat's proximity to the shoreline as a major reason why it's been so difficult to remove. Because the boat is likely full of water and sand, its weight now exceeds the capacity of most cranes, Guyer said. His team hopes to have the boat removed by 7 p.m. on Wednesday. Now somewhat of a Milwaukee icon with its own entry on Google Maps, Deep Thought became stranded on Oct. 13, 2024, when its owners, Richard and Sherry Wells of Mississippi, ran out of gas. The couple bought the boat in Manitowoc and intended to stay at McKinley Marina for two nights before navigating home. However, Richard said inadequate directions caused him to miss the entrance to the marina and the boat to get stuck. In October, U.S. Coast Guard officials said they wouldn't immediately try to remove the boat because no lives were in danger and the vessel didn't pose a risk of pollution or floating away. Officials said it would be the boat's owners' responsibility to pay a commercial towing and salvage company to remove it. As the months passed, Deep Thought became lodged deeper in the sand between McKinley Marina and Bradford Beach, becoming encased in ice sheets over the winter. Now, its exterior and interior are covered in graffiti, and most of its electronics have been picked over or destroyed. Guyer has been trying to assist with the boat's removal since the fall. However, strong winds and eventually winter weather repeatedly delayed the process. The Wells had been communicating with Guyer, but after several initial conversations, communication has gone "radio silent," Guyer said previously. In late March, Guyer called for Johnson to get involved in moving the boat. A spokesman for Johnson said the city was open to discussions but "not in position to provide city, taxpayer-funded resources." The next day, Milwaukee County Supervisor Shawn Rolland instructed leaders in the county parks department to outline "clear next steps" and asked county attorneys to determine if federal, state, county or city government is responsible for removing the 40-year-old Chris-Craft Roamer from the lakeshore. As of last week, some of the boat had been removed, including its hard top and cockpit. More: Abandoned boat on Lake Michigan picked apart, covered in graffiti More: All of our reporting on Deep Thought, the abandoned boat along Lake Michigan in Milwaukee This story will be updated. Journal Sentinel reporter Jessica Van Egeren contributed to this report. This article originally appeared on Milwaukee Journal Sentinel: Anonymous donor pays for removal of abandoned Milwaukee boat
