Removal of sunken vessels Alert and Sakarissa

Two tugboats maneuver two derelict boats in the Columbia River, with the Interstate Bridge in the background.

The sunken ship Sakarissa was removed from the Columbia River on Sept. 19.

A derelict sunken vessel is raised from the Columbia River by a larger Coast Guard salvage vessel. Several crew members wearing safety gear direct the salvage efforts.

Crews worked to raise the sunken ship Sakarissa before it was towed to a local shipyard to be dismantled and disposed.

Sept. 30, 2022 1:16 p.m.

Funding for regional cleanups enabled Metro to partner with the Department of State Lands, U.S. Coast Guard, and Department of Environmental Quality to remove two sunken former military vessels, Alert and Sakarissa, from the Columbia River. Sakarissa was removed on Sept. 19, and Alert followed soon after on Sept. 25.

The two boats were largest abandoned boats in greater Portland, spanning up to 125 feet long. A significant amount of waste was removed in disposal of the ships, giving the people of the region a cleaner, healthier and more beautiful river.

Through the greater Portland cleanup funding, Metro contributed up to $2 million for disposal of the vessels, a third of the estimated cost to remove the ships.