Coast Guard investigating why 85-foot yacht worth millions sank at launching in Washington

The Associated Press
May 21, 2014 at 6:45PM
A yacht sits on its side Monday, May 19, 2014, near Anacortes, Wash.
A yacht sits on its side Monday, May 19, 2014, near Anacortes, Wash. (Colleen Kelly — ASSOCIATED PRESS - AP/The Minnesota Star Tribune)

ANACORTES, Wash. — An 85-foot yacht that sank as it was being launched Sunday in Anacortes, Washington, has been pulled upright while the Coast Guard investigates what went wrong.

Petty Officer 3rd Class Jordan Akiyama says an incident management team is looking into why the new vessel capsized. The yacht worth millions of dollars is being salvaged.

The Skagit Valley Herald reports six people were aboard as Northern Marine Industries launched the yacht. When it began to roll, several went to the engine room to adjust ballast but water flooded inside.

Most of the workers got out easily but one was trapped. Rescuers had to chop out a porthole to pull him free.

The yacht had 120 gallons of diesel on board but none leaked.

A salvage worker seals window openings on an overturned yacht Monday, May 19, 2014, near Anacortes, Wash.
A salvage worker seals window openings on an overturned yacht Monday, May 19, 2014, near Anacortes, Wash. (Colleen Kelly — ASSOCIATED PRESS - AP/The Minnesota Star Tribune)
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