Questions remain as to what caused the stern of the historic Larry Don to sink this week at its mooring near Bagnell Dam. Salvage crews from hart diving and salvage were on the scene on Tuesday assessing the situation and owner terry hart says he is unsure if ice was the cause of the sinking. He says raising the 65-foot passenger vessel will be tricky due to the boat’s proximity to the docks, as well as the wind, the ice, the boat’s high center of gravity and underwater cable. The plan is to raise the vessel with airbags, pump it free of water and then determine the source of the leak. Hart says the owners who also own beavers at the dam have not decided if the historic vessel will be salvaged or repaired. If salvage crews are able to raise the boat, it will be towed a couple hundred yards along the shoreline to the iguana sports facility which has the original trolley used to launch the boat. The Larry Don made its debut at the lake in 1948. It is believed to be the oldest commercial boat at the lake.
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