The Washington State Department of Natural Resources filed a lawsuit on June 18 in the Pacific County Superior Court against Sunfeather Lightdancer, former owner of the R/V Hero.

The sunken vessel was stripped apart in 2022 after a lengthy battle following its dereliction and subsequent sinking at a mooring in Bay Center, which created a significant risk to local wildlife and fisheries.

The R/V Hero was a renowned research vessel built in South Bristol, Maine, by Harvey F. Gamage. The vessel was 125 feet long with a gross tonnage of approximately 300 tons, and was used primarily for research expeditions to Antarctica.

The ship met its demise during a fierce 2017 storm and partially sank at its mooring in Bay Center. It remained partially submerged for five years until DNR acquired ownership through a legal process on July 20, 2021, as indicated in a Notice of Intent to Obtain Custody, due to the risk the submerged vessel posed to the public and the waterway.

On Aug. 16, 2021, DNR acquired custody of the vessel and began the process of having a salvage crew dismantle and remove it from the water. Ballard Marine of Washougal was awarded the project with a bid of $ 1.8 million.

According to court documents, DNR served Lightdancer with a Demand for Payment in Due via mail service for expenses it accrued for the removal. The overall costs are listed in court documents as just over $3.7 million, and the DNR is demanding that Lightdancer pay the costs immediately.

“As of the date of this filing, DNR has received no payment from Lightdancer regarding the Hero, nor has it received any response from Lightdancer to its June 8, 2023, demand letter,” Assistance Attorney General David D. Palay Jr. stated in court documents. “Accordingly, DNR is authorized to bring this lawsuit seeking reimbursement for costs incurred in the taking custody of the Hero, and thereafter removing it from the water, deconstructing it, and disposing of it in an appropriate and environmentally sound manner.”

“Under the Derelict Vessel Act, an owner of a derelict vessel, such as Lightdancer, is liable by statute for all reasonable and auditable costs associated with the removal or disposal of the owner’s vessel…,” Palay added.

The lawsuit also seeks 1% interest per month from the date of DNR’s letter to Lightdancer on June 8, 2023, and also “reasonable attorneys’ fees.”

According to county records, Lightdancer has a residence across the street from where the Hero was moored and sank in Bay Center. The property has a current assessed tax value of $479,000.