Flying boats make for a rare sight as Washington clears an island of derelict vessels by helicopter
June 4, 2025
The Washington Department of Natural Resources has been using one of its firefighting helicopters to haul abandoned boats off an uninhabited island in the southernmost reaches of Puget Sound this week. The vessels are flown to the mainland to be deconstructed later. The state agency opts to airlift boats out when a water removal would disrupt the marine bed or surrounding environment too much. Officials say this week’s operation was the largest the department has undertaken. Since the boat removal program began in 2002, the department has hauled out more than 1,200 derelict vessels.
