Stranded boat along Milwaukee lakefront nears 3 months since abandonment

 

MILWAUKEE (CBS 58) -- Monday, Jan. 6, marks 85 days since a boat became stranded -- and later abandoned -- near Milwaukee's Bradford Beach.

Nearly three months later, it's still capturing the attention of southeast Wisconsin, and many are left wondering -- will it become a permanent landmark?

For Nick Scott of Milwaukee, the cold temps didn't stop him from coming out to see the boat for the first time.

"It's pretty exciting," Scott said. "It's another Milwaukee staple here!"

Now dubbed "S.S. Minnow," the boat is decorated with stickers, graffiti, and Christmas decorations thanks to the local community.

“I didn’t know it would be here this long, to see it finally frozen up on the bank here," Scott said. "But I’d love to hear more about the story, it’s crazy.”

So, CBS 58 reached out to the boat's owners who live in Mississippi. Despite initially saying they would take the call, after repeated attempts of contact, we never heard back.

That's when we heard from the regional U.S. Coast Guard, who said the owners have also stopped responding to them, and to a local towing company who has spent around $18,000 out of their own pocket to recover the boat.

Coast Guard officials also pointed to a newly created GoFundMe by a man out of Arkansas who claimed the couple is being charged $400 each day the boat is not removed, but that the information is false and no one should donate to the made-up cause.

As of right now, the Coast Guard said the towing company is waiting for better and warmer weather to resume their efforts.