Jared Ritz
Havre Daily News
jritz@havredailynews.com
A Walleyes Unlimited dock at Fresno Resevoir broke free in rough water and high winds Wednesday afternoon, carrying four boats with it, and lodged against Fresno Dam.
The dock, one of two in the bay just south of King's Bay, remained next to the dam today. Two of the boats were retrieved, one overturned and another sunk next to the dock, said Al Steiner of the Bureau of Reclamation.
Pat Lamphier, a member of the Fresno Chapter of Walleyes Unlimited, called Cal Simons about the situation and Simons drove to the scene. When he arrived, the dock and boats were at the center of the dam, Simons said.
At first, Simons and several Walleyes members tried to drive his boat to the dam, but because of the wind and "humongous swells," they weren't able to, Simons said. At that point, some people drove a truck on to the dam and reached the boats from above. They had a key to one of the boats, so they were able to drive it away after cutting it loose from the dock.
Simon towed a pontoon boat away from the dock after it was cut loose, he said.
Because of today's weather, it looks like the dock and remaining two boats will stay where they are for one more day.
"We've got to wait until the wind goes down so we can work on it," Simons said.
Steiner said the Bureau of Reclamation has no plans to remove the dock and boats.
