‘They’ve got a big problem’: Shrimp boat washes ashore in Myrtle Beach during Hurricane Ian

MYRTLE BEACH, S.C. (WMBF) – A large shrimp boat washed ashore in Myrtle Beach as Hurricane Ian blew through the Grand Strand on Friday.

The boat came ashore in the area of 21st Avenue South during the storm.

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According to the Myrtle Beach Police Department, no one was on board at the time, but Coast Guard rescued the four people on the boat the day prior.

“We were trying to come into Murrells Inlet and the motor cut off,” said Kevin Benz, owner of Holden Beach Seafood and the boat, the “Shayna Michelle.”

Local and federal authorities are now trying to figure out how to get the boat back out to sea.

“The batteries went dead, so that was the problem. The crew put out the anchor, and eventually during the storm yesterday, the anchor broke,” said Benz.

Police are urging people to stay away from the boat and there is no reason to go near it. Still, the newest unintended Myrtle Beach attraction is getting a lot of attention.

“They’ve got a big problem. If it were me, I would probably just dig a hole around it and maybe the water would come in and push it up,” said John Everette, who was in town for a motorcycle club event.

Trinia Pearson is staying at a beachfront hotel and saw the boat come ashore.

“I sat there on the balcony, and I kept watching. Next thing I know, I saw the boat. It was tipping and topping,” said Pearson.

Initially, officials believed the boat was leaking fuel into the ocean but later determined there was no leak.

Because it’s the weekend, Holden Beach Seafood is unable to obtain the permits needed to get heavy-duty equipment in to haul the boat out. That could happen as early as Monday.

“We have some equipment coming in to excavate a trench maybe, or we’re going to run some lines from a bigger tugboat to get Shayna Michelle out,” said Benz.

The MBPD is restricting access to the boat and will be monitoring it around the clock until it is removed.

A GoFundMe has also been organized to help with costs.

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