World

Boat found on Washington state beach might be debris from 2011 tsunami

U.S. authorities are working with the Japanese consulate to determine whether a small boat found on a beach in Washington state might have crossed the Pacific from the March 2011 tsunami.

Boat was found Monday covered with barnacles and seaweed

In this photo provided by Ocean Shores Police Department, a small boat is washed up on the beach at Ocean Shores, Wash., on Monday. State authorities are checking the small boat to determine if it may have crossed the Pacific from the March 2011 tsunami off Japan. (The Associated Press)

U.S. authorities are working with the Japanese consulate to determine whether a small boat found on a beach in Washington state might have crossed the Pacific from the March 2011 tsunami.

Ecology Department spokeswoman Linda Kent said Thursday there's a nameplate on the boat, but it's barely legible.

The boat was found Monday covered with barnacles and seaweed.

It was taken to a state parks maintenance facility and tested for invasive species. Kent says another boat found April 23 near Long Beach, also covered with marine life, had no marks that could determine its origin.

She says there has been no confirmed tsunami debris since last year.