Accidents of the Week - February 1, 2025
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Duck Hunters Rescued from Lake During Snowstorm
1/21/25 – St Martin Parish, LA
Two stranded hunters were successfully rescued by enforcement agents of the Louisiana Department of Wildlife and Fisheries (LDWF) on the morning of 21 January, during a winter snowstorm in St. Martin Parish, Louisiana.
Agents received information around 7 a.m. about two duck hunters who were stranded in Henderson Lake. Agents responded to the scene immediately by boat and found the duck hunters inside their hunting blind around 8:45 a.m.
According to the duck hunters, they got to their blind to hunt and when they tried to leave they couldn’t get the motor to start. Agents rescued the duck hunters and transported them back to their truck and then followed them back to the Lafayette area by truck. Agents tied the hunters’ boat to their duck blind to be picked up at a later date.
Hunters were reminded to stay home, stay off the roads, and not access any Wildlife Management Areas due to the hazards presented by the winter storm.
Possible Carbon Monoxide Poisoning Kills 3 People
1/19/25 – Mesa, AZ
After three people were possibly killed by carbon monoxide, detectives with Arizona’s Maricopa County Sheriff's Office (MCSO) returned to Saguaro Lake on 19 January.
Officials said two women and a man were found dead inside a houseboat at the marina after someone called 911 to report they hadn't heard from or seen the group in some time.
“It’s just hard for deputies to deal with a scene like this," MCSO Sgt. Calbert Gillett said. When first responders arrived, a generator was running. “I know the presence of carbon monoxide was prevalent when we got on scene," Gillett said. "To the extent that it was in the air, I can’t confirm how much it is right now.”
MCSO said the three deceased individuals had been identified as 35-year-old Amanda Elderkin, 41-year-old Jason Elderkin, and 57-year-old Julieanne Afman.
Fellow Boaters ‘Can’t Figure Out’ Victims’ Use of Generator
People who dock their boats at Saguaro Lake Marina said they were saddened by the loss, but also confused as to why it happened. “It’s just sad, you know when something like that happens," Jack Wolf, a boater, said. “I can’t figure out why anybody out there would have their generator running while they’re in their boat, because we get shore power.”
Wolf told local reporters that connecting to shore power allowed boaters to keep their cabins warm in the winter without worrying about running a generator.
“In the boating community, you know not to be sitting inside of a closed boat with a generator going, it just — even with the engine going you shouldn’t be sitting in there," Wolf said. The Maricopa County Medical Examiner was set to determine the cause of death.
Yacht Fire Prompts Evacuation of Miami Strip Club
1/19/25 – Miami, FL
Crews extinguished a yacht fire on the Miami River that sparked behind a strip club in Northwest Miami-Dade, Florida.
Early morning on 19 January, Miami-Dade Fire Rescue (MDFR) crews responded to the scene of a blaze near the Booby Trap On The River nightclub, along the 3600 block of Miami’s Northwest South River Drive.
Officials said about 15 people were on board the 95-foot vessel when heavy smoke began to fill the cabin. “We got everybody off the boat, and then, within maybe five minutes after that, the flames just started to come through the top of the boat and through the sides,” said Michael Markefka with Booby Trap. The nightclub was evacuated as a precaution while firefighters worked to knock down the flames.
Firefighters Responded to ‘Large’, ‘Very Difficult’ Blaze
Some 30 firefighters responded to the firefight. “Because of the fuel on board and the size of the vessel, it was a large fire, very difficult to fight,” said MDFR spokesperson Nicholas DiGiacomo.
Crews were able to put out the fire, but the yacht sank and was declared a total loss. “Because of how much water the vessel took on, she ended up rolling and capsizing at the dock, and unfortunately, taking two pylons with her,” said DiGiacomo.
Units remained at the scene to contain fuel from the vessel and minimize environmental impacts. No injuries were reported.
Duck Hunter Found Dead in Kansas Lake
1/18/25 – Osage Co., KS
One person is dead in Osage County, Kansas, after falling out of a boat into Melvern Lake.
According to a press release on Saturday 18 January from the Osage County Sheriff’s Office, at 3:42 p.m. they received a report of an individual falling into the lake. Seven different emergency services, including LifeSave air ambulance, responded to the scene to assist.
After a long search by land and air, the subject was found. After being rescued from the water, life-saving measures were performed before the victim was transported to a local hospital where he was pronounced dead.
The Osage County Sheriff’s Office later named the victim of the boating accident as Justin T. Steinman, 28, of Overland Park, Kansas, who had been duck hunting when the accident occurred.
Steinman’s death was under investigation by the Osage County Sheriff’s Office and the Kansas Department of Wildlife.
Body Pulled from Ohio River After Search for Kayaker
1/16/25 – Henderson, KY
A body was pulled from the Ohio River after a search for a missing duck hunter.
The Sheriff’s Office in Spencer County, Indiana, reported that divers with the state’s Department of Natural Resources (DNR) recovered the body of Hunter Conner on 18 January.
Officials said Conner had gone missing on the morning of 16 January when he fell off his kayak while duck hunting.
Louisiana Duck Hunters Rescued After Boat Sinks in Texas Lake
1/19/25 – Fannin Co., TX
Two experienced duck hunters from Louisiana were rescued after their mud boat struck a tree and sank in Bois D'Arc Lake, Texas, leaving them stranded in 15 feet of cold water.
The incident prompting a coordinated search effort by Texas Game Wardens and other agencies. The hunters' wives contacted Texas Game Wardens in Northeast Texas after not hearing from their husbands, according to a press release from the department.
With temperatures dropping and darkness approaching, the wardens enlisted help from the Texas Department of Public Safety (DPS) Aviation, the Fannin County Sheriff's Office, and North Texas Municipal Water District staff.
Hunters Burned Gear, Driftwood to Stay Warm
The hunters managed to stay calm and resourceful, using wood from the tree they clung to, duck decoys, and most of their gear to create a fire in their Yeti cooler for warmth. DPS Aviation spotted the flames and directed rescue crews to their location.
After enduring the elements for 13 hours, the hunters were rushed to a local hospital for treatment of severe hypothermia.
Boater Hospitalized After Long Island Marina Fire
1/22/25 – Long Island, NY
A boater was hospitalized after two yachts caught fire and sank at a Long Island marina early on 22 January, officials said.
Firefighters were first called to Manhasset Bay Marina in Port Washington, New York, around 12:30 a.m. to a 43-foot Marine Trader yacht that was completely engulfed in flames, cops said. The blaze quickly spread to a 42-foot Post boat docked in the adjacent slip.
A 58-year-old man on the second boat was taken to a local hospital suffering from smoke inhalation, police said. The initial boat that caught catch fire was unoccupied.
Firefighters took nearly two hours in single-digit temperatures to contain the spreading blaze. None of them were injured.
Boater Rescued After 15 Hours on Florida Sandbar
1/21/25 – Manatee Co., FL
A boater was rescued after they were stranded for 15 hours on a remote sandbar in Manatee County, Florida.
In a Facebook post, the North River Fire District said they had to act swiftly as temperatures dipped due to the recent frigid temperatures sweeping the southern U.S., including Florida. Firefighters reportedly navigated "shallow and unpredictable" waters to reach the boater, who had been unable to free themselves.
"This incident highlights the value of specialized equipment, such as USAR (Urban Search and Rescue) boats, in accessing areas that are otherwise unreachable, reinforcing their importance in emergency response scenarios," firefighters stated in the post.
The boater was found to be in good health following the rescue, firefighters said.
Firefighters Battle Marina Fire that Claims 10 Boats
1/22/25 – Polk City, IA
Multiple fire trucks were on scene at the Saylorville Marina in Polk City, Iowa, as crews fought a large blaze on the night of 22 January, according to local news reports.
The call for the fire came in close to 6 p.m. according to Capt. Ryan Evans of the Polk County Sheriff's Office. When Polk City Fire Department arrived on scene, three houseboats were found on fire.
Capt. Evans told reporters there were no reported injuries but the battle against the fire became increasingly difficult, especially after a fire hydrant went out, impeding firefighters' efforts. Add in the cold temperatures which made getting water in even harder, and Polk City FD called for the assistance of five other fire departments to assist with water supply.
In an update the following day, the department said 10 boats had been damaged, with initial estimated damages around $300,000.
The cause of the fire was under investigation.
USCG, Responding Vessels Rescue Boaters from Life Raft
1/21/25 – San Juan, PR
A US Coast Guard (USCG) aircrew, the crew of the Crowley container ship El Coquí, and fishermen from the fishing vessel Bonanza rescued four men from a life raft in the Atlantic Ocean’s Silver Bank waters, north of Dominican Republic, on 21 January.
The US Citizens rescued were David Potts, 63; John Potts, 62; Andrew Cullar, 26, and Russel Case, 67, who were forced to abandon the sailing vessel Mariposa after it reportedly struck a submerged rock and was then overtaken by a wave, which caused the vessel to roll on its port side. The vessel then struck another rock which breached the vessel’s hull and started taking on water while additional waves flooded the vessel before sinking.
The vessel Mariposa was on a voyage from St. Croix, U.S. Virgin Islands, to Portofino, Texas, with an anticipated stop in Key West, Florida.
EPIRB Alerted Coast Guard to Fate of Sailboat
Coast Guard Sector San Juan Command Center watchstanders received an unregistered 406 Emergency Positioning Radio Beacon signal on the morning of 21 January, alerting of a possible distress situation approximately 180 miles northwest of Puerto Rico.
Coast Guard watchstanders directed the launch of an Air Station Miami HC-144 Ocean Sentry aircraft out of Air Station Borinquen in Aguadilla, Puerto Rico, to search for any signs of a possible distress or survivors.
Watchstanders also issued an Enhanced Group Calling (EGC) and an Automated Mutual-Assistance Vessel Rescue (AMVER) callout notifying vessels transiting in the vicinity to be on the lookout for a possible distress. The US-flagged motor vessel El Coquí, a 720-foot container ship, diverted to the location of the distress during the ship’s voyage from San Juan, Puerto Rico, to Jacksonville, Florida.
Once in Silver Bank area, the Coast Guard aircrew acquired the emergency beacon, located the life raft with the four survivors, and vectored in the cargo ship to the area.
The Coast Guard aircrew also noticed the fishing vessel Bonanza that was accompanied by multiple small fishing vessels in the vicinity of the distress. Not having direct communication with the fishing vessel Bonanza, the Coast Guard aircrew conducted a series of low passes to gain the vessel’s attention before vectoring the vessel’s crew to the position of the life raft.
The fishing vessel Bonanza crew was able to approach the life raft in the shoal waters and rescue the survivors. Once rescued, the fishing vessel Bonanza transported the survivors to the motor vessel El Coquí for further transport to Jacksonville, Florida. No medical concerns were reported from survivors.
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