There are growing concerns regarding boats left behind, abandoned and even sinking within Pittsburgh’s rivers.
“It looks like an eyesore down here,” said Tim Pardick, who we spotted strolling the North Shore’s riverwalk on Wednesday.
There, Channel 11 spotted a large boat tied up and left behind, not far from another smaller boat that’s started to sink into the river.
But the potential problems extend far beyond just an unappealing appearance.
“If this boat sank, then it would leak gasoline, it would leak oil, and a lot of garbage, stuff we see on the decks would then drift away,” said Capt. Evan Clark.
Clark, with the non-profit organization, Three Rivers Waterkeeper, met Channel 11 alongside one of the boats that’s been left behind along the North Shore.
“Some folks use this as a free marina,” he said.
With his own boat, Clark took us on a tour to view abandoned boats further up the Ohio River on Brunot Island. There, two are piled on top of one another, with all of the identifying markers having been scratched off. When a boat isn’t traceable to an owner, it’s officially considered “abandoned,” he said. Otherwise, a vessel is typically classified as “derelict.”