Tow company denies access to boat owner after Hurricane Milton

A woman’s boat sank during Hurricane Milton while she was in Michigan, but the company allegedly will not let her collect her belongings.

A tipster told WINK News that a towing company retrieved the boat and put it on the land this past week.

WINK News anchor Taylor Wirtz was in Fisherman’s Village to speak with the woman.

As a travel nurse, Sally Ranney spends six months of the year working and living in different parts of the country, but the other six months are her favorite.

“Fisherman’s Village in Punta Gorda, it’s my home base. It was an amazing community of people,” said Ranney.

Ranney spends the other half of the year living on her boat. “It was an idyllic life for a very long time,” she said.

That is until Hurricane Milton sunk it.

“I lost everything, and you know you’re insured, but it’s the things you can’t get back, you know, the family mementos, my dad’s jean jacket. He was 91 when he died four years ago,” Ranney explained. “You know, my mom’s Fostoria dishes, it seemed S&H Green Stamp bowl with the family sharks tooth collection. The silly things that can’t be replaced.”

Ranney filed a claim with her insurance company—Geico—and her boat was moved to land next to the Punta Gorda marina.

Since it is her boat, Ranney asked her adjuster at Geico if she could get on it and see what could be salvaged.

“She said, ‘Well, absolutely … the vessel is sure still yours. If you’re willing to sign a liability waiver, there’s no reason we see that you can’t get on the boat,'” said Ranney.

But when she went to get her things, she said the owner of TowBoatUS, which moved the boat, wouldn’t let her on.

“He adamantly refused to allow me on the boat,” she said.

And he hasn’t given her a specific reason why.

She said, “I don’t see why I can’t access the boat; that’s me waiving him from any and all liability.”

All she wants is a chance to reconnect with some of her last ties to deceased family members.

“Yeah, it’s just stuff, but it’s my stuff, and it’s my memories, and they can’t be remade, and it can’t be replaced,” explained Ranney.

When we called Ranney’s contact for TowBoatUS, we were told they could not comment on a matter involving a private vessel.

Someone from Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission reached out and said they would see if they could help Ranney get her belongings back.