A tire that had drawn complaints from Metro-North commuters has been removed from the Hudson River near the Bear Mountain Bridge.

Commuters, like Dan Shapley, say the 1,800-pound tire has been an eyesore for years.

"One morning I just couldn't take it anymore," said Shapley, who is the water quality program manager for Riverkeeper, a nonprofit that protects the Hudson River. He called his friends at Sea Tow and Metro-North to devise a plan to remove the tire.

Sea Tow removed the tire free of charge. Owner Walter Garschagen said the task was unusual for him and his crew.

"It's fun and different. We tow boats, we recover boats, but a tire, why not?" he said.

Workers say the tire likely belonged to a front-end loader, although how it came to rest there remains a mystery. Metro-North says it will pay for the tire to be recycled.