Mercer Island Police Department (MIPD) officers worked with several other agencies in securing an unoccupied, partially submerged vessel in Lake Washington near the 5300 block of the East Mercer Way shoreline on the early morning of Aug. 31.

NORCOM Dispatch received reports of a sinking vessel and informed the MIPD, which responded to the scene and then contacted the Department of Ecology, Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) and the US Coast Guard for assistance, according to a city of Mercer Island press release. The EPA and its contracted dive team secured the vessel and towed the boat to shallower waters, where it remained stable just south of the Newcastle Boat Launch as of the evening of Aug. 31.

According to the city, “A small amount of marine fuel was present on the water surface in the immediate vicinity where it was discovered,” adding that the dive team didn’t detect the presence of fluorocarbons during an on-site test. The EPA and its team also installed temporary plugs to ensure the vessel doesn’t leak additional fluids into the lake.

The boat, which has been classified as a derelict vessel because no registered owner could be found, was slated to remain at the boat launch until the Department of Natural Resources could remove it from the lake.

Mercer Island and Renton fire departments also played a role that morning by sending divers into the water to verify that the boat was unoccupied.