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City's new boat sinks
It was used improperly, boat maker says
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McMinnville Fire Department had to rescue its new rescue boat Friday morning. A test in deep water of a boat designed for shallow water resulted in the boat tipping over and sinking.The incident happened at Riverfront Park around 11 a.m. Firefighters were simulating a river rescue in deep water, with two men in the boat attempting to pull one man out of the water, when the boat tilted to the side, filled with water and sunk.The boat was purchased by the city from Towee Boats Manufacturing, a local company, for about $14,000. Todd Gregory, president of Towee Boats, says the boat was not designed for deep-water rescue.“The purpose of today’s test was, ‘Can we use the boat for something else.’ The department wants a boat to use above the dam in deep water.