A large buoy that washed up on Wells Beach gets towed back to sea The red-and-white striped buoy drew a crowd Monday morning as the Coast Guard worked to return it to the water. Posted April 22, 2024 ...

WELLS, Maine — For almost two weeks now, a buoy has been lodged into the sands of Wells Beach like a commanding piece of pop art. Next week, it is slated to leave the shore behind and return to sea.

Apr. 22—WELLS — In the pitch black hours before dawn, Geoff Payson said he could hear the "indescribable" growl of something grating against the rock jetty at the end of Wells Beach.

An 8,000 pound, 12-foot tall buoy washed up in Wells, Maine, on April 4. The US Coast Guard then decided to retire the red-and-white navigation marker, but residents rallied to save it.

This buoy, which drifted onto Wells Beach in Maine after a recent storm, is scheduled to be towed back out to sea by the U.S. Coast Guard on Monday, April 22, 2024.