The Thurston County Dive Team searched under the waters of Percival Landing Monday morning for the missing steering wheel from the historic schooner Adventuress.
Thurston County Sheriff's Sgt. Jim Dunn said the dive team is searching the waters along the shore of Percival Landing near where Adventuress was docked Oct. 6, when the steering wheel went missing. One theory is that whomever stole the steering wheel might have dropped it in the water, he said.
Dunn said the dive team is using its underwater "remote controlled vehicle" - or ROV, a submersible, remote-controlled camera. As of about noon Monday, the dive team had not found the steering wheel, but had found assorted items underwater, including a bicycle, a TV monitor, an outboard motor and a skateboard, he said.
A curious, five-foot long mudshark had approached dive team members, and the underwater ROV, several times Monday morning, Dunn added. The waters where the dive team is searching for the steering wheel are about 10-feet deep, he said.
The dive team is killing two birds with one stone as it searches for the steering wheel at the request of the Olympia Police Department - it is also conducting its regular training exercises, Dunn added.
Sound Experience, the nonprofit that operated Adventuress, is offering a $100 cash reward for the safe return of the steering wheel. The nonprofit found a loaner wheel before it embarked Oct. 7 with 24 students on a three-day program to learn about Puget Sound, according to its web site.
To learn more about Sound Experience, go to www.soundexp.org.
Jeremy Pawloski: 360-754-5445
jpawloski@theolympian.com
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