Accidents of the Week - February 15, 2025
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Coast Guard Rescues 5 from Vessel Taking on Water
2/2/25 – San Juan, PR
Five boaters were rescued by Coast Guard Cutter Joseph Napier from a disabled vessel 13 nautical miles off Cabo Rojo, Puerto Rico, on the afternoon of 1 February.
The rescued boaters were four men and a woman, who came into distress after their 18-foot recreational vessel Michelle Marie II became disabled in eight-foot seas and started taking on water. “The situation and conditions on-scene could have caused this vessel to capsize at any given moment,” said Capt. Robert E. Stiles, Coast Guard Sector San Juan Search and Rescue mission coordinator for the case.
Coast Guard: Heed Advisories, Projected Sea-States
“Thanks to the quick response and swift coordination between Coast Guard watchstanders and the Coast Guard Cutter Joseph Napier crew all five lives were saved, and a tragic outcome was averted. Although we are very glad everyone aboard the Michelle Marie II is safe, we can’t overemphasize the importance of heeding small craft advisories and paying close attention to projected sea-states and weather conditions before going out to sea.”
Coast Guard watchstanders in Sector San Juan received a call from a 911 emergency operator and a VHF-Channel 16 radio communication from the 18-foot recreational vessel Michelle Marie II reporting that the vessel and pumps onboard were disabled, and that the five people onboard were exhausted from manually bailing out water.
Watchstanders issued an Urgent Marine Information Broadcast to advise nearby vessel traffic of the ongoing distress, they alerted Puerto Rico Police Joint Forces of Rapid Action, they directed the launch of a Coast Guard MH-60T Jayhawk helicopter and diverted the Coast Guard Cutter Joseph Napier to the scene. As the Coast Guard Cutter Joseph Napier arrived on-scene, the crew spotted two signal flares that had been launched from the vessel Michelle Marie II.
Cutter Joseph Napier deployed their Over-the-Horizon small boat which came alongside the vessel Michelle Marie II and the crew safely embarked the five passengers. The cutter Joseph Napier crew utilized a P-6 pump to help dewater the vessel, Michelle Marie II.
Afterwards, the commercial salvage vessel Kraken arrived on-scene, embarked the survivors and transported them with the vessel Michelle Marie II in tow to the safety of Combate Beach in Cabo Rojo, Puerto Rico.
No injuries or medical emergencies were reported in this case.
Cruise Ship, Pilot Captain Rescue Kayaker in Distress
1/29/25 – Port Canaveral, FL
A kayaker was rescued on the morning of 29 January more than two miles off Port Canaveral, Florida, thanks to the combined efforts of a harbor pilot and the crew of the Victory 1 cruise ship.
According to news reports, around 11:30 a.m., Canaveral Pilots Association Pilot Boat Captain Chris Bean located the kayaker, whose kayak had capsized two to three miles offshore, according to harbor pilot Rich Grimison.
Kayaker, Wearing PFD, Used Radio to Call for Help
The kayaker, though entangled in fishing gear, was wearing a life jacket and used his radio to call for help. The Victory 1, carrying 218 passengers, had just left Port Canaveral when its crew spotted the distressed kayaker. Megregian sent the ship's rescue boat to assist.
Bean brought the kayaker and his recovered gear to the port's Freddie Patrick Boat Ramp, where Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission officers met them. The kayaker, though shaken, declined medical help.
Crews Respond to Boat Fire; 1 Taken to Hospital
1/31/25 – Little River, SC
One person was taken to the hospital on the afternoon of 31 January after a boat caught fire in a South Carolina marina, authorities said.
Horry County Fire Rescue (HCFR) responded at about 3 p.m. to the 700 block of Highway 17 in Little River, South Carolina. The fire was extinguished with some damage to the boat.
The person’s injuries were not believed to be life-threatening, HCFR said. No additional information was immediately available.
Couple Rescued by Helicopter from Louisiana Lake
1/31/25 – Larto, LA
A couple was rescued after becoming stranded while boating at Louisiana’s Larto Lake on 31 January, according to the Catahoula Parish Sheriff’s Office (CPSO).
The Sheriff’s Office said it received a call at around 1 p.m. that afternoon asking for assistance to help the stranded couple. Authorities said the pair had been fishing on Saline Larto Lake when their boat drifted over a rock wall and became lodged against the wall of a Long Branch Control Structure - a kind of floodgate system used to prevent the lake, a former branch of the Red River, from changing shape.
Immediately beyond the wall was a 40 to 50-foot drop, according to Louisiana Department of Wildlife and Fisheries (LDWF) agents who were on the scene.
The scene was assessed by CPSO deputies, LDWF agents, and Sandy Lake Fire and Rescue teams. Because water levels in the diversion canal were deemed too low for a rescue by boat, an air rescue seemed to be the safest way forward.
Shortly thereafter, the United States Army Corps of Engineers contacted CPSO to ask for help. CPSO reached out to the Louisiana Sheriff’s Association and asked for immediate air support from any available department. Louisiana State Police responded to the request and sent out a helicopter.
Meanwhile, the State Fire Marshal’s office arranged for two rescue boats to be sent on the water.
Within four hours of the initial call, the couple was safely airlifted from the lake and reunited with family members at Alexandria Esler Regional Airport.
Coast Guard Pulls Two from Disabled Boat; Woman Loses Life
2/3/25 – San Juan Islands, WA
The U.S. Coast Guard rescued two boaters from a disabled sailboat near the San Juan Islands, Washington, but a woman tragically lost her life.
The mission started around 7 p.m. on 3 February when the captain sent out a mayday call saying the boat was drifting toward land. A boat crew from Station Bellingham and a helicopter from Air Station Port Angeles answered the call.
Despite the 25 to 35 mph winds and rough seas, the USCG immediately tried to rescue the boaters but the boat ran aground. USCG said the mast collapsed and the only way to reach the people was by lowering a rescue swimmer, who brought up a 56-year-old man and handed him over to the rescue boat.
Coast Guard Member Hospitalized After Rescue
Shortly after, an unconscious woman was found in the water and taken to the rescue boat. The USCG performed CPR until paramedics took over and drove to St. Joseph Medical Center in Bellingham.
Despite efforts to save the woman, she was pronounced dead at the hospital. The man and a USCG member, injured during the rescue, were also taken to the hospital. The Coast Guard member was released later that night. The condition of the man was not released.
Unconscious Boater Saved from Out-of-Control Vessel
2/4/25 – Deleon Springs, FL
A boater on a Florida lake is safe thanks to some brave first responders.
On 4 February, the Volusia County Sheriff's Office shared a dramatic video on their Facebook page, showing a boat spinning out of control on Florida’s Lake Dias with an unconscious man on board.
When first responders arrived, they collaborated to devise a plan for the rescue. Aerial footage showed crews using their own boat to maneuver alongside the out-of-control vessel. Once close enough, Volusia County Fire Rescue Acting Division Chief and Technical Rescue Deputy Team Leader John Kyp boarded the boat and brought it to a stop. Kyp was also able to transport the patient to shore for further treatment.
The boater was expected to make a full recovery, the sheriff's office reported. The agency did not specify the cause of the patient's unconsciousness.
Boat Rescued from Rocks in Upstate New York River
2/3/25 – Oswego, NY
At around 11:30 a.m. on 3 February, 911 dispatchers asked the New York State Department of Environmental Conservation (DEC) to send forest rangers to the Salmon River in Oswego County, New York.
Forest rangers were told a small boat was stuck between two rocks on the Salmon River. Around 12:10 p.m., Ranger Vaile arrived on the scene. Officials say the man's boat was partly submerged with the unnamed man standing on it. Ranger Vaile was able the throw the man a line and help pull him to safety.
Once ashore, rangers worked with local firefighters to escort the man to shore where he was warmed in an ambulance.
Three Fishermen Rescued Off Florida Coast
2/6/25 – Wabasso Beach, FL
The moment three fishermen were pulled from a capsized boat by a Fire Rescue marine unit off the coast of Indian River County, Florida, was captured by a Sheriff's Office helicopter.
“They were fishing," Lt. Keith Chisholm said. "The rope got tangled in their prop, turned around, the waves turned the boat over.” Two units from Indian River County Fire Rescue and the Indian River County Sheriff's Office responded.
“We called for hawk, which made it very easy to spot," dive team engineer Steve Smith said. "Once we got to Wabasso and launched the RIB, we spotted the helicopter, which was spotting the victims, so we were able to get there very quickly.”
The three men on board treaded 62-degree water for 45 minutes but were okay.
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