The log jam on the Thames River in downtown Chatham has brought some happy and not so happy memories for a couple of people over the past few days.
One woman from Kent Bridge is being reunited with her childhood Sea-Doo after 18 years, while a man from the London area got trapped on his boat this past week because the water is so high, he can't get his boat under the bridges.
Crystal Slater said she and her childhood Sea-Doo should be reunited on Monday or Tuesday after police found it abandoned on a big pile of jammed logs near the Fifth Street Bridge over the weekend. Slater said it's wild to get the watercraft back because the Sea-Doo was stolen around 2003 and hasn't been seen since. Slater said her mother received a call from Chatham-Kent police on Saturday afternoon to let her know they recovered her machine because it was still registered under her name.
"They called and said we have your Sea-Doo in the Thames River and mom was stumped. She's like I have no clue what you're talking about," said Slater. "We don't now how many times it's been stolen and sold but it's still in our name. I can't believe nobody has wiped the [vehicle identification] numbers off of it."
Slater said it brought back a lot of childhood summer time memories when her mother called to tell her the news and went down to the spot where the 1996 Sea-Doo was found to make sure it was indeed hers. She noted she was shocked to find out it is and it still looks good.
"I was actually kind of emotional when my mom called and told me," she said. "I'm still dumbfounded. It actually looks like it's still in pretty good shape. I think it's meant to be with us. What are the chances?"
Slater said the machine will become part of the family and will get refurbished and ridden next summer.
The London area boater named Rick said he's had to cool his engines for a few days so far because he can't go anywhere until the water drops five feet. He said he called the fire department and 911 on Wednesday but nothing was done to clear the log jam until Friday. He's also calling the municipality negligent for its delay in clearing the blockage and said the high water and floating logs have damaged the hull of his boat.
"I'm pissed, absolutely pissed. My boat is constantly battered up against the dock posts and have to keep checking my fenders to limit the damage," Rick posted on his Facebook page. "I have not even heard from any official with a game plan or even if we needed any assistance. Very upset at the town's slow response to have anything done about it or the fact that they are ignoring myself and the other two boaters in the same predicament."
Rick is thanking the "nice citizens" who brought him and the other two stuck boaters some supplies. He said he had to wade in hip-deep water to leave his boat.
The Lower Thames Valley Conservation Authority said the Thames River peaked in Chatham early on Monday morning but not before reaching 6.5 metres above normal in Thamesville on Sunday.
Chatham-Kent Chief Administrative Officer Don Shropshire said work to clear the huge amount of debris floating downstream began last week and continued over the weekend. Shropshire said it's taking some time to get the log jam cleared up because of the large volume of debris.