Sailboat grounded on U.S. side of Niagara River

Folks on the other side of the Niagara River were as curious about the lone sailer and his boat as we were.

Last week, residents on the U.S. side saw something strange on the shore by Fort Niagara State Park, the Tribune/Sentinel reported. “Amidst the ice floes, a small, abandoned sailboat was seen bobbling on the eastern end with the waves,” a story in that paper read.

The damaged boat apparently managed to break free from its mooring at the NOTL Sailing Club, and drifted across the river into U.S. waters.

The Local reported in February that once the boat was safely tied up at the sailing club, the man aboard it, who had been living on the boat anchored in the river since early December, had been taken to the hospital in St. Catharines by police. He was reported to be a loner, and an inexperienced sailor with mental health issues. His father, a resident of London, Ont., was expected to take him home.

Law enforcement on both sides of the border said they are fully aware of the presence of the boat now on the U.S. side, and its location is not considered a hazard. According to the U.S. Coast Guard station, the Tribune/Sentinel says, the owner has been contacted and the coast guard is awaiting the boat’s removal from the shoreline.

The same owner has abandoned two other boats of the same make and model in Lake Erie, where they remain.