New London — A few residents of Pequot Avenue who stayed behind for the brunt of Hurricane Sandy had an up-close-and-personal view of devastation and destruction — some of it man-made.

George Ramos, who lives in an apartment situated right above the Thames River, said he watched at 9 Monday night as two boats from the nearby Burr's Marina tore through the parking lot in front of his door. The water at high tide lifted the approximately 30-foot boats off their stands to float free.

Earlier in the day, others who live in the same area behind Harbor Club said they watched Shane Carrier, their 31-year-old neighbor, use a shotgun as he tried to sink a boat in the water that was threatening his house at 204 Pequot Ave. The home sits right on the river.

Police charged Carrier with unlawful discharge of a firearm, interfering with an officer, breach of peace, weapons in a motor vehicle and carrying a shotgun in a vehicle. He was released on a $25,000 bond.

All in all, between that incident and the two boats coming mere feet from slamming into several condominiums, Sandy provided enough to make for one memorable day.

"Well, the parkway needed work anyway," joked Peter DeGraff, secretary of Eagle Condominiums, as he surveyed the damage caused by the two boats. "This is unprecedented. I had no idea it would be this bad."

jeff.johnson@theday.com