29-03-2025
Abandoned boat, Milwaukee County researching who's responsible
The Brief
A boat has been abandoned at Milwaukee's lakefront for nearly six months.
Milwaukee County is researching which government body is responsible for it.
Attempts to contact the boat's owners, who skipped town, have been unsuccessful.
MILWAUKEE - As the saga of a boat abandoned at Milwaukee's lakefront unfolds, the county is researching which government body is responsible for freeing it.
The backstory
The boat – "Deep Thought" – has been washed ashore just south of Bradford Beach for nearly six months. It ran out of gas and got stuck in the sand. The owners, from Mississippi, skipped town.
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Earlier this week, FOX6 News talked to a man who said he's spent a lot of time and money trying to salvage the boat. He said he wants the city's help, but the county is now considering making the boat's owners pay.
"A beautiful area – and then there's this boat," said Milwaukee County Supervisor Shawn Rolland. "They sort of dump their boat on our beach, it's still sitting there – and in my mind – that qualifies as illegal dumping."
Dig deeper
Although it's technically the boat owners' responsibility to remove it, the man who has spent hours and nearly $20,000 trying to do so said the owners stopped returning his calls in December. FOX6 News tried to contact the owners as well, but never heard back.
"We have to start getting these wheels turning and get that boat out of the water," said Rolland.
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Rolland said the first step is figuring out which government body is responsible for the boat's removal. The second step, he said, is figuring out how to pay for its salvage.
"Our ordinances allow us to fine the boat owners up to $5,000 for this 'illegal dumping' that's been done here," said Rolland, adding the county could also work with the district attorney's office to pursue additional fines.
"Not sure, but confident that we will be able to get this out of the water without having this be a burden to taxpayers."
What's next
While the county works to figure out which entity the job ultimately falls on, spectators continue to enjoy what could be their final weeks seeing "Deep Thought."
Rolland said there's no timeline for when anything will be known, but the Milwaukee County Office of Corporation Counsel will make the call of which entity it falls on.
The Source
FOX6 News interviewed Milwaukee County Supervisor Shawn Rolland and reference prior coverage of the abandoned boat for information in this report.
