MILWAUKEE — While Deep Thought has officially been removed from the Milwaukee lakefront nearly seven months after it initially ran aground October 13th, the story of the boat itself is not over yet.
Milwaukee County District 17 Supervisor Steve Taylor is expressing frustration over still-lingering legal gray areas regarding how payment for the boat’s removal will ultimately be ironed out.
“The fun and games are over and I am asking for full transparency on the final cost and if Milwaukee County is paying for any shortfall,” wrote Supervisor Taylor Wednesday in an email to Milwaukee County Executive David Crowley, 3rd District Supervisor Sheldon Wasserman, and Milwaukee County Parks Executive Director Guy Smith among others.
“I think there’s a lot of questions that need to be answered. And I know that this has been a big deal, but there’s a price tag, and we need to figure out who’s paying it,” Taylor told WTMJ Thursday.
As the boat was being removed Tuesday, the office of 3rd District Supervisor Sheldon Wasserman released a statement confirming the County had signed a contract with All-City Towing estimating the removal cost at $55,000. According to the Milwaukee County Corporation Counsel, the County is solely responsible for the removal of the boat, despite previous assurances that the County would ultimately seek reimbursement for their efforts.
“There are ongoing questions about who holds the title, and if the transfer was never properly completed, the original owners may still be liable,” said Wasserman. “Either way, Milwaukee County residents shouldn’t be forced to cover the cost of cleaning up after out-of-state tourists who abandoned their boat and their responsibility.”
According to the 2015 State of Wisconsin Abandoned and Derelict Vessel Legislative and Administrative Review, Wisconsin does not have a formal or funded program to address abandoned boats. Additionally, Wisconsin does not have a dedicated funding source for addressing abandoned or derelict vessels; removal costs are supposed to be paid by the municipality with jurisdiction, unless the owners can be identified and are able to pay for the removal.
The most recent owners of the boat, Richard and Sherry Wells of Mississippi, have not returned requests for comment by media and goverment leaders, though a Google Review left on the site of “The Minnow” allegedly written by Sherry detailed the night the boat ran aground, blaming the situation on “the incompetence of the marina.” It has not been confirmed whether Wells is the actual individual who left the review.
This has led to multiple other instances beyond “Deep Thought” across Wisconsin over the years. In Door County an abandoned tugboat the “Donny S.” has sat off the shore of Bailey’s Harbor since 2021, and along the St. Croix River a 54-foot yacht dubbed “Sweet Destiny” was left behind by its owners near Beer Can Island close to Hudson since 2024.
In response to both the “Sweet Destiny” and “Deep Thought” incidents, State Senator Rob Stafsholt and State Representative Shannon Zimmerman have proposed a bill that would levy fines of $10,000 and up to 9 months behind bars if an owner refuses to remove an abandoned vessel within 30 days of a notice. A spokeperson for Stafsholt told WTMJ on May 2 that the bill’s co-sponsor period runs through the end of the day.
Wasserman’s statement Tuesday re-affirmed previous reporting by WTMJ that neither the U.S. Coast Guard nor the Wisconsin Department of Natural Resources held jurisdiction over the patch of shore Deep Thought was grounded on. In November, U.S. Coast Guard Public Affairs Officer Lieutenant Joe Neff told WTMJ’s Wisconsin’s Midday News the only reason the department would get involved is for matters of pollution.
“In cases like this, the Coast Guard gets notified, we speak to the owners, we do our investigation, [and] confirm what kind of products are on the boat, how much fuel is on board. In this case, he ran out of gas…so the threat of pollution is very minor in this case,” said Neff at the time.
Before All-City Towing was contracted by the County, Milwaukee salvage operation Jerry’s Silo Marina conducted multiple attempts to remove Deep Thought from the shore to no avail. Owner Jerry Guyer told Wisconsin’s Morning News April 24th he had expensed more than $20,000 in efforts to remove it prior to a sixth failed attempt; Taylor says to this point the County has not to his knowledge received a bill from Guyer for his efforts.
An anonymous donor who Milwaukee Mayor Cavalier Johnson announced April 23rd was offering to pay the removal cost has not contacted the County, nor has a formal offer been received, according to Wasserman. President of the Daniel W. Hoan Foundation Daniel Steininger confirmed to WTMJ May 2nd the group plans to donate $10,000 to the cause.
READ MORE: Milwaukee nonprofit donates $10,000 towards abandoned boat’s removal
“We’re restoring our shoreline,” added Wasserman. “And we’ll do everything possible to hold the right parties accountable.”
Taylor tells WTMJ he expects the matter to be brought before a committee, likely Parks and Culture, sometime in June once the County receives concrete information on the status of the donations.
“There’s a financial implication potentially to the taxpayers if these donors don’t follow through or they don’t fully cover it,” says Taylor.
GALLERY: Capturing the removal of “Deep Thought” from the Milwaukee lakefront
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