MUSKEGON, Mich. — About three weeks after a fire damaged a fleet of boats stored for winter inside a Muskegon marina, one of the owners shared her experience returning to her vessel.
Patty and John Sabin keep their boat at Safe Harbor Great Lakes marina and were hoping to put their boat into the lake in mid-April.
They recently connected with marina staff to take an escorted look inside the damaged building to take a look at their boat.
"Our boat is damaged quite a bit. There's severe sub damage, not only up above, but down below in the cabin," Patty Sabin said.
"And it's not just us. It's many people from what I understand. There were 150 boats in there and 80 were damaged in some way, shape or form. So it's going to be a lot of people out there either looking for services to repair and clean their boats, or to purchase boats. So it's still an unknown, and that is very frustrating to both my husband and I."
The couple has had the boat for less than a year.
They're waiting on their insurance company to find out the complete extent of the damage.
Photos show impact of marina fire
Many others have shared concerns and are still searching for answers about what caused the fire.
"We do understand though, they had to make sure that the building was sound, they also had to conduct their investigation, and they didn't want all kinds of people around. Now, where they're at now is they are allowing boat owners in. But it is one owner at a time and you're escorted by a member of their staff. Again, it's because it's probably not the safest or cleanest, especially not the cleanest," says Patty Sabin.
"The people that we've been dealing with at the marina, the gentleman who brought us back it's been wonderful. And you know, explaining what was going on, and you're telling us as much as he could. But again, the communication I feel could have been just a little bit better. But we're still very happy there."
The fire started inside a building at Safe Harbor Great Lakes Marina, and spread to about three or four boats, authorities said, but all vessels inside suffered some sort of damage.
That damage is estimated to be in the millions, and that's exactly why Muskegon Public Safety is enlisting the help of the ATF.
Deputy Director of Muskegon Public Safety Jay Paulson said a Grand Rapids-based ATF agent who specializes in fire will help investigators find out what caused the blaze.
No firefighters were hurt while battling the fire, and no other injuries were reported.
Some sections of the building were cut open during the fire suppression efforts in order to ventilate the smoke.
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