MCKEESPORT, Pa. — With recent wet weather, many area rivers are moving quickly, and in at least one case, debris in the water knocked two boats from docks at a local marina.
As water swiftly moved down the Youghiogheny River, a McKeesport couple watched as their houseboat suddenly broke loose from the dock.
“I was standing right there. My wife and I were right there on the dock when it happened. Nothing you can do, just gotta let it go. Can’t fool with Mother Nature,” Ed Gasdick said.
Gasdick’s boat was parked at the McKeesport’s McKees Point Marina when it broke free, rushing downstream from the Youghiogheny River onto the Monogahela River and was approaching the McKeesport Duquesne Bridge when crews from the marina and McKeesport River Rescue were able to stop it.
Gasdick’s told us it all happened as large chunks of debris were rushing by.
“Just debris, the river moving fast, I think the debris was just getting under the back end boat and pushing it against the dock and the lines couldn’t take it anymore. The lines didn’t break, the cleats pulled out of the boat,” he said.
Another pontoon boat also broke free and was carrying a tree with it.
We reached out to the Army Corps of Engineers and they said they are releasing less water. Late on Tuesday night, they reduced the Youghiogheny Dam’s outflow from 800 cubic feet per second to 200 feet.
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