CAROLINA BEACH — The individual responsible for abandoning a vessel in waters near Carolina Beach in December has been charged with felony littering.
The vessel was abandoned on Dec. 6 and ran aground on Dec. 7 in Freeman Park. According to the town, the vessel was ungrounded by Carolina Beach’s harbormasters and towed to the municipal marina. However, the boat has been unregistered since 2018, forcing officials to search for the perpetrator.
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The responsible party was charged on Jan. 27, according to the town’s Monday announcement, which didn’t include naming anyone specifically.
“These charges send a clear message,” Senior Harbormaster Jarrett Anderson said. “The Town of Carolina Beach will no longer tolerate vessels being abandoned along its shoreline and will make every effort to hold responsible parties accountable.”
For two years, the Town of Carolina Beach has made efforts to reduce the number of abandoned vessels in its local waters, including updates to town code that expand harbormaster authority to enforce violations in the harbor. The town’s harbormasters have worked with the North Carolina Coastal Federation to remove 15 abandoned vessels from the water.
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