Accidents of the Week - April 20, 2024
BoatTEST publishes “Accidents of the Week” as a public service for our VIP Subscribers to acquaint them with potential boating dangers and by inference their prevention.
Coast Guard Rescues 2 Children, 3 Adults in Florida Waters
4/7/24 – Clearwater, FL
Coast Guard crews rescued two children and three adults on 7 April, after their 18-foot vessel capsized 10 miles west of Crystal River, Florida.
Sea Tow Crystal River dispatch contacted Coast Guard Sector St. Petersburg watchstanders at approximately 6 p.m. on 7 April, reporting five people requesting assistance on a capsizing vessel. A Coast Guard Air Station Clearwater MH-60T Jayhawk helicopter aircrew, Coast Guard Station Yankeetown boat crew and commercial salvage crew spotted all five people clinging onto their capsized vessel at approximately 8 p.m.
The Coast Guard boat crew recovered the mariners from the water and transported them to Pete’s Pier Marina to receive a higher level of care from emergency medical services. No injuries were reported and the mariners were coordinating vessel recovery with commercial salvage.
Coast Guard Resumes Search for Missing Boater off North Carolina
4/6/24 – Wrightsville Beach, NC
The Coast Guard resumed its search for a missing boater on 9 April off the coast of North Carolina.
A good Samaritan located a vessel matching the description of the boat Jeffery Kale was aboard, nearly 83 miles east of Wrightsville Beach, North Carolina. Coast Guard Sector North Carolina issued an urgent marine information bulletin to mariners in the area, requesting assistance locating Kale. Multiple U.S. Navy assets in the area responded to the urgent marine information bulletin and assisted the Coast Guard in the search.
Boat Located with Fishing Gear Engaged, No One on Board
The vessel had fishing gear engaged and was moving northeast at nearly 6 miles per hour. There was no one aboard and no visible damage to the vessel.
Coastal patrol boat USCGC Steelhead (WPB 87324), an Air Station Elizabeth City HC-130 Hercules airplane crew and various Navy assets continued the search for Kale, while a commercial towing company set out to retrieve the vessel and tow it to shore.
Boating Crash on Florida Lake Leaves Woman Dead
4/7/24 – Leon Co., FL
A 28-year-old woman was killed on 7 April in a boating crash on Lake Iamonia in Florida’s Leon County, according to the Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission (FWC), which was investigating the incident. The crash, which happened around 5 p.m., involved two vessels, one being an airboat, the FWC said. The victim's name was not made public at the time.
"Preliminary information indicates two vessels, one airboat and one surface drive boat, were operating in the Strickland Arm of Lake Iamonia on the Northeast side," an FWC spokesperson said. "The airboat received damage to the starboard side of the vessel, including damage to the propeller cage, making it inoperable," the spokesperson said.
"One passenger died as a result of injuries sustained in the accident. Both vessels have been seized for investigative purposes." The FWC said the investigation into the crash was ongoing, but there was no word on whether any charges would be filed.
Boaters Stranded on Sand Dune Rescued by Fire Department
4/7/24 – Seminole Co., FL
The Seminole County Fire Department set out early on 7 April to rescue some stranded boaters in Geneva, Florida. Two adults were rescued without injury from their immobile boat around 1:51 a.m. at Mullet Lake Park, the fire department said on social media.
According to the posts, the boat had gotten stuck on a sand dune 156 yards from the main water channel. The fire department shared footage from Airboat 42 showing the rescuers’ approach as they shined a light through the fog to find the boaters.
The boat was taped off due to it being in a high-traffic area and was set to be removed later in the morning, the fire department’s post stated.
Two Boaters Rescued After Hitting Delaware Bay Outer Breakwater
4/4/24 – Lewes, DE
Multiple agencies were dispatched for a Vessel in Distress on 4 April at about 11:40 p.m., including the Fire Department in Lewes, Delaware, the Coast Guard, and the Delaware Department of Natural Resources and Environmental Control (DNREC).
Sussex Emergency Operations Center advised responders to a 60-foot boat that authorities referred to as a sailing vessel. The boat had struck the Outer Breakwater in the Delaware Bay, while two people were on-board. The Lewes Fire Department said further investigation determined that the Delaware Bay Pilots Association was on-scene and had confirmed the initial report.
At about 11:58 p.m., 82-Marine 1 went underway with the following crew members: Captain Aiden Gause, Captain Cameron Cortes, Lieutenant San Juan Felton, Chet Reynolds (Firefighter/EMT), John Watson (Firefighter/EMT), Firefighter Riley Graham, and Firefighter Josh McCredie. The rescue boat, Marine 1, endured 6 to 8-foot seas, 30-knot winds, and driving rain, according to the fire department.
Rescue Swimmer Deployed to Retrieve Boaters from Breakwater
Delaware Bay Pilots reported that one person had abandoned the boat and was in a life-raft. Lewes Fire Department said they arrived shortly after the Coast Guard Indian River Boat Crew. The department said due to the heavy sea conditions, none of the on-scene boats were able to position themselves close enough to the survivors to effectively deploy any retrieval devices like life-savers.
Both survivors had abandoned ship, and were on the Outer Breakwater. Lewes Fire said Marine 1 deployed Captain Aiden Gause as a rescue swimmer, who was able to retrieve both survivors and return them to Marine 1.
Both survivors were assessed and had no injuries. They were then returned to the Lewes Boat Ramp and turned over to the DNREC Marine Police.