Accidents of the Week - August 22, 2026
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2 Boaters Airlifted from Jetty After Taking on Water
8/3/26 – Bandon, OR
Two people were rescued from the south jetty on the Coquille River in Bandon, Oregon, on August 3.
Around 11 a.m., first responders received reports of a 14-foot boat taking on water with two people onboard near the south jetty, according to a U.S. Coast Guard press release.
Half an hour later, the Bandon Fire Department rescued the two people from the boat and placed them on rocks in the jetty for a helicopter pickup.
Passengers Jump Overboard as Boat Catches on Fire
8/1/26 – Naples, ME
A 45-year-old Illinois man was detained after authorities alleged he drunkenly operated a 31-foot Southbay pontoon that struck and drove over a 20-foot Crownline on the Fox River, killing a 48-year-old woman onboard.
The collision occurred around 2:30 p.m. south of the McHenry Dam. Prosecutors alleged Richard Stevenson, of Lisle, was operating the pontoon at an “extremely high rate of speed” when it struck the stern of the Crownline and rode over the smaller boat.
Stranded Mother, 2 Girls Rescued on Lake Erie
7/29/26 – Cheektowaga, NY
A rescue pilot speculated that it might have been strong winds that swept a paddleboarding mother and her two daughters, ages six and eight, stranding them for hours in the middle of Lake Erie.
According to officials, the three left to go paddleboarding around noon in the Wainfleet, Ontario area on July 29, near the border with the United States and New York state.
At 5:47 p.m., a call was made to the Niagara Regional Police, reporting the three had not returned to land. The Erie County Sheriff's Office in western New York state was notified of the report at 7:14 p.m., and took off using their Air 1 helicopter at 8:02 p.m.
Lead pilot of the Erie County Sheriff's Office aviation unit, Captain Ryan Rodgers, and his co-pilot spotted the paddleboarders at 8:55 p.m. The sun had started to set nearly 20 minutes before.
"I could see something floating out there on the right side of the aircraft. And I turned the aircraft, started flying towards what I saw out there," Rodgers said. "As we got closer, I could start to make out people. And at that point, I realized that we'd found them." The successful search-and-rescue operation involved first responders from the United States and Canada.
Rescuers ‘In a Race Against Time’
Within 10 minutes of the Air 1 finding them, the Canadian Air Force search and rescue C-130 arrived to deploy life rafts. At 9:21 p.m., a Canadian Coast Guard cutter rescued the three.
Rodgers believed that because of strong winds, the currents may have swept up the paddleboarders, taking them approximately 10 miles away from any land. "For us to find them in all that open water was miraculous. I just remember praying," Rodgers said.
"We were in a race against time. We were losing the sunlight. We were losing the daylight. And I just remember praying and saying, I hope to God that we find them." Rodgers said he had confidence the team could find the family, but the darkness would have significantly impacted the mission, despite the helicopter's infrared technology.
No injuries were reported, and the youngest daughter was seen wearing a lifejacket.
Man Airlifted After Boats Collide Off N.J. Coast
7/31/26 – Barnegat Light, NJ
A man was injured in a collision between two boats off the coast of the Jersey Shore on July 31.
They collided about 10 miles off Barnegat Light, according to the Coast Guard. TowBoat U.S. Barnegat Light & Beach Haven responded to the scene and said they found a 32-foot research vessel and a 33-foot Grady-White, both taking on water. Workers used dewatering pumps to remove water from the boats to prevent them from sinking.
When the U.S. Coast Guard arrived on scene, they found that one of the four people aboard the boats had suffered an arm and head injury, said Petty Officer 1st Class Matthew West.
Rescuers Save Paddleboarders Trapped on Sand Bar
8/1/26 – Lincoln City, OR
Rescue crews saved a family that ended up stranded on a sandbar in Oregon’s Siletz Bay on August 1, after rising tides and strong winds cut off their escape.
North Lincoln Fire & Rescue was first called out at about 3:30 p.m. to check on a group with paddleboards that was on a sandbar about a half mile from the beach access point. They found the group wasn’t in distress, and could still safely return to shore.
Less than an hour later, however, rescue crews were called back out when the same group was now surrounded by water and clinging to a large log.
“The incoming tide had filled in around the sandbar, and significantly stronger winds had left the family unable to paddle back to shore,” North Lincoln Fire officials said.
2 Jump from Burning Boat in New Jersey Canal
8/6/26 – Sayreville, NJ
Two people safely reached shore on August 6 after an engine fire broke out aboard their boat on Sayreville, New Jersey’s Washington Canal, police said.
One person suffered a minor burn. Both were taken to hospital for evaluation as a precaution, police said.
According to police, a 911 call was received around 11 a.m. from the boat's occupants, who reported the engine was on fire. The callers said they were unable to extinguish the blaze.
Boaters Unable to Reach PFDs After Fire Broke Out
Unable to reach their life jackets, both people jumped into the canal and swam to shore, police said. Officers arriving at the scene located the two people on shore. Emergency medical personnel evaluated both at the scene before they were transported to the hospital.
Responding agencies included the Sayreville Police Department, Sayreville Volunteer Fire Department Marine Units 7 and 3, Perth Amboy Fire Department Marine Unit 5, the New Jersey State Police Marine Unit, and Hackensack Meridian Health Advanced Life Support and Basic Life Support units. The cause of the fire remained under investigation, police said.
5 Pulled from Sinking Boat in Long Island Sound
8/3/26 – Asharoken, NY
Police officers from Suffolk County, NY, rescued five people from a sinking boat in the Long Island Sound on the evening of August 3, authorities said.
The five men were fishing aboard a 17-foot boat when the vessel began taking on water at about 5:25 p.m., according to Suffolk County police. One of the men called 911 and reported that the boat was halfway filled with water.
Marine Bureau Officers John Dreyer, Dave Froehlich and Jack Hardy responded aboard Marine Bravo and pulled their vessel alongside the sinking boat, police said. The officers brought all five men aboard the police vessel. No injuries were reported.
Police then removed the water from the boat and towed it safely to the Soundview Boat Ramp in Northport.
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