Sometime around February 8 the Grays Harbor Buoy 14 was struck just north of Westport, but went unreported. The buoy quickly changed from a navigational aid to a navigational hazard, after the buoy sunk to the bottom of the harbor.
The crew of the Coast Guard Cutter Fir was able to comb the bottom of the sea floor until they hooked the sunken buoy's chain. The crew used a grapnel hook attached to the end of a 90-foot chain. The crew hauled in the flooded buoy, which now weighed three times the normal amount. The crew set the buoy on the water's edge to drain and then pulled the buoy aboard.
If people have information regarding a vessel striking or damaging the buoy, please contact Michele Schallip at 206-220-7273.