Dragon boat dock swallowed up in swollen Schuylkill

This week’s torrential rains and churning Schuylkill River have swept away an aluminum dock installed just last month.

The dock for dragon boats, the colorfully decorated boats about 10 inches taller than regular shells, was put in less than two weeks ago.

The Schuylkill Paddlers, a consortium of dragon-boat teams, had the 60-foot dock made so they could have a permanent home on the river.

Standing on the bank of the Schuylkill Thursday evening, the president of the Paddlers, Emilia Rastrick, assessed the damage as the river began to calm.

“Right now, I see a concrete bulkhead, and as the river goes down, I don’t see a dock,” she said. “I see concrete torn away. I can see some metal on the front where the dock was attached, and then broken concrete on the front.”

The Schuylkill Paddlers were in the process of giving the $40,000 dock to the city per an agreement with the Department of Parks and Recreation. It is insured, and may be salvageable — if it can be found and dredged from the river.