Barnacles Bill’s Newport Harbor boat cleaners were on the spot when a recent car accident happened on the Balboa Auto Ferry. On January 13, 2012 the Mercedes seen in the picture lost control and pushed a rental minivan through auto ferry barrier and into the bay. Luckily for the Mercedes owner, the driver was able to find the brakes before going into the bay. Unfortunately for the visiting Taiwanese family in the minivan, they had prepaid for the week rental. They were lucky to get out of the van before it sank, but were left wondering if they had done something wrong. The Newport Beach police union was able to pay for a new rental for the family from Taiwan.
Scott Storm, owner of Barnacle Bill’s Newport Beach, was in his dive wet suit and ready jump in if. “On the spot Scott” and the divers he employs spend nearly every day diving under boats in Newport Harbor in order to clean them, scrape their hulls, and replace zincs. And every once in a while the job can get exciting.