Several hypodermic needles and substances police are calling “suspicious” washed up on a shore near Skagway this week after the boat carrying them sank, authorities said.
The Skagway Volunteer Fire Department has picked up between one dozen and two dozen insulin needles since the live-aboard boat that was carrying them capsized Sunday in the Dyea area, a sandy bog at the mouth of the Taiya River, said Fire Chief Joe Rau.
Most of the needles had caps on, Rau said, and no one had been injured by the flotsam as of Tuesday. The Dyea flats, which are adjacent to an abandoned mining town, are a popular recreation area for tourists.
The man and woman aboard the boat were rescued just before 7 a.m. Sunday, and the debris from the wreckage began washing up on shore hours later, according to authorities. About 1 1/2 tons of debris from the wreck has been cleaned from the shore, Rau said.
Police claim “suspicious substances” were found among the debris as well as other medical supplies, according to a borough statement. The Skagway police chief did not return a call Tuesday.
“An investigation into possible criminal activity is currently underway,” the statement said.
Rau said the beach is considered safe, though the fire department will continue monitoring the shore for any other dangerous debris until the boat is removed.
“There’s no evidence on the shore that any (new) debris has floated to shore,” he said.