Marine Scientist Suspects Her Yellow Submarine Was Stolen

EMERYVILLE (KPIX 5) – Crews pulled a yellow submarine out of the Emeryville marina on Sunday and the owner says her unique vessel was stolen and abanonded.

The owner of the yellow submarine is marine scientist Shanee Stopnitzky.

She says it's pretty obvious someone stole it and tried to use it.

When they found it, the submarine was halfway full of water and the hatch was broken.

"They had turned a handful of the valves on, so they were definitely trying to operate it," Stopnitzky said. "It's really funny. I really wish there was film evidence of this happening."

Stopnitzky now has to figure out how to haul her submarine out of an Oakland towing yard and then fix it up.

"My submarine is in submarine jail," Stopnitzky said. "I'm trying to get it back and it's actually a logistical nightmare because the trailer is broken and it's very expensive to get the submarine out."

It's going to take about $5,000 to fix everything.

Stopnitzky spent $4,000 to buy it, but she says it's her first submarine, she loves it and it's worth it.