A routine boat launch went awry in Haines this past Sunday. Boat owner Dennis Gudmundson was attempting to ease his vessel, the 15-ton commercial fishing boat Kaemik, into the water at Letnikof dock.
According to Gudmundson, the loader that was backing the boat into the water lost power which caused the brakes to fail and the boat and trailer went out of control. The 31 ½ foot boat jackknifed as it rolled towards the water and flipped on its side.
No one was injured in the incident and there was no fuel spillage or environmental damage. The Letnikof Harbor is a seasonal facility for transient moorage.
Alaska State Troopers were quickly on the scene to investigate but left while salvage operations were ongoing. A front loader and excavator were brought in to turn the vessel upright and Gudmundson was assisted by a small group of locals. Despite his predicament, he remained optimistic about recovering his boat and getting it back into the water in good condition.
In spite of some initial setbacks, such as a snapped line during the first attempt to right the vessel, by Monday the Kaemik was upright yet still out of the water. Gudmundson said that there were some minor repairs to conduct but was hopeful the vessel would be in the water soon.
