Pontoon Gone Wild: Local Lift Station Takes the Hit

Usually, pontoons belong on the water, not crashing into city infrastructure. But recently, one runaway watercraft decided to make waves on land — by colliding with a lift station control panel.

The good news: everyone was fine. No injuries were reported — unless you count the bruised pride of the boat owner and the dented control cabinet.

So how does a pontoon pull a stunt like this? Someone was towing their pontoon, but the trailer hookup was not “shipshape.” Supposedly, the coupler latched, but the safety chains weren’t connected to the vehicle. When the truck hit a bump, the trailer decided it was time to cast off. The pontoon rolled backward, downhill, and docked itself right into the city’s lift station control panel.

The aftermath? The station’s doors and some inside components were damaged, but fortunately, the cabinet stayed anchored to its base. Energenecs technician Tom Robarge had the system back up and running within a few hours, returning the next day to ensure everything kept running smoothly until the replacement cabinet arrives. Thanks to his quick work, downtime lasted a short time—while that pontoon will likely be “out of service” for quite a bit longer.

Moral of the Story: always hitch your trailer properly and chain it securely. Otherwise, your pontoon might decide to take its own “land cruise.”