A car mysteriously found at the bottom of a Cape Breton cliff has apparently been swept out to sea, raising concerns about the environmental impact, and further deepening the mystery on how the vehicle got there.
Darren MacLeod couldn't believe what he was seeing at the bottom of a cliff near his Victoria Mines home.
"I was kind of shocked. Shocked in a way that the vehicle was overturned at the base of a cliff," says MacLeod.
MacLeod immediately contacted police, who determined nobody was in the vehicle. Officers then passed the file on to Nova Scotia's Department of the Environment, but the vehicle, full of fluids, remained on the shoreline for several days.
"By day three there was quite a visible oil slick from the location of the vehicle all the way down the coast," says MacLeod.
Jeff McNeil, a member of the Port Morien Wildlife Association is frustrated by the lack of response.
"Most of these organization that were contacted are supposed to protect the environment, and it comes down to who should front the bill to pay for this cleanup," says McNeil.
In an email to CTV News, Nova Scotia’s Department of the Environment says they were contacted and staff visited the site on March 3. No contamination on land at the site or on the shoreline was observed.
According to the department, the person responsible for a spill is responsible for cleanup.
MacLeod says he's checked on the car daily, and it appears the current took it out to sea. With fishing season approaching, MacLeod is concerned about the problems this vehicle might create.
"The pollutants in the water and possibly the vehicle is going to cause damage to their fishing vessel. Possibly rip open the hull," says MacLeod.
Cape Breton Regional Police confirm the vehicle was stolen, but say they have been unable to contact the owner.
With files from CTV Atlantic’s Kyle Moore.
