If you noticed a helicopter flying low over Budd Inlet with an old boat hanging off the bottom on Tuesday, you weren’t seeing things.

The Department of Natural Resources is conducting operations this week to collect derelict, abandoned boats from regional waterways and remove them to a holding area in Olympia.

Here’s what to know.

DNR boat removal by helicopter

From June 3 through June 6, DNR will be removing 14 derelict boats in the Squaxin Island area, using one of their Huey UH-H1 helicopters.

The flight path takes the helicopter directly over Budd Inlet and ends at DNR’s holding area at Squaxin Park. They will later be moved to a final destination for disposal.

DNR will be flying from Squaxin Island to Squaxin Park at an elevation of about 500 feet, with the old boats suspend

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