Washington State removes 14 abandoned boats from Puget Sound island using a helicopter.

Washington State's Department of Natural Resources used a firefighting helicopter to remove 14 abandoned boats from an uninhabited island in Puget Sound, marking their largest operation of this kind. Since 2002, they have removed over 1,200 derelict vessels, with this operation funded by a federal grant. The agency chooses to airlift boats to avoid disrupting the marine bed and surrounding environment, which includes vital kelp beds for fish.