Boats are made to go in the water. However… Water should not go in the boats–at least not this much water. This is what happens when a boat is forced to deal with a couple feet of rain and flood conditions, without being allowed to drain.

We took one of our barges out to the river this weekend and rescued the boat in question–one of 3 such rescues in the past few days. Damage, however, had already been done. Sitting underneath muddy water is never good for a boat. It’s even worst for an electric trolling motor.

These are the types of situations that boat lifts are designed to prevent. Sitting up high on a lift, a boat is safe from all but the most severe flooding, and storing the boat with the drain plug out will prevent the water from sitting inside the boat and damaging the interior and expensive electronics. Everyone recognizes the convenience of a boat lift. Not everyone thinks about the extra protection they provide in severe conditions.

View more pictures of the rescue in our gallery.