ANACORTES, Wash. — They broke a bottle across the bow of the Baden on Sunday, and from there the launch of Northern Marine's new yacht was a disaster.
The website YachtVid.com shot video of the 85-foot yacht as it started to lean going down the Anacortes ramp.
In the background, you can people shouting “come on” and “oh, no.”
There was almost a panic as the vessel capsized. It wasn’t deep enough to sink completely.
On the video, someone says, "Get a hammer or something to break that window."
Windows had to be broken on the yacht to get several people out safely.
Some witnesses felt uncomfortable with the way the boat was launched, without any support on its sides.
Brian McCulloch said, “It seemed unusual to me.”
A former leader of the project, Aaron Pufal, expressed grave concerns about the safety of a dolly system used to move the boat. It appeared to be crushed under the weight of the vessel. Its tires were flat.
There are other questions about whether the boat had enough ballast to stay upright during its launch.
Coast Guard investigators will ultimately provide some answers.
When KIRO 7 called the Seattle office Thursday afternoon, we were told investigators are still in Anacortes and won't share their findings until their investigation is complete.
Click here to see additional videos from Yachtvid.com.
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