Boat crashes ashore near Clinton

A 42-foot boat slammed into the shore south of the Clinton ferry dock Tuesday afternoon after the crew at the controls apparently fell asleep.

A 42-foot boat slammed into the shore south of the Clinton ferry dock Tuesday afternoon after the crew at the controls apparently fell asleep.

No one was hurt in the mishap.

Bill Couch, a resident near Columbia Beach where the boat came ashore, said he saw the roughly 42-foot vessel approach the beach at a high rate of speed.

“I saw the boat go by here and thought, ‘Geeze, he’s heading into shore a little quick,'” Couch said.

“He was going full bore and then smack! Right onto the beach,” he said.

Couch said he called 911 while another resident ran down the beach to see if the crew was OK. There were three people on board, Couch said, and they said two people who were operating the vessel said they had fallen asleep.

Couch said the vessel will be hard to free.

“It’s totally high and dry,” he said. “I think this thing is going to need an ocean tug to get it off,” he said.

Couch said people aboard the arriving ferry at Clinton also saw the crash and called 911 as well.