Accidents of the Week - January 11, 2025

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.

USCG Rescues Dad, 3 Kids Near Florida’s Skyway Bridge

12/29/24 – St Petersburg, FL

A dad and three kids were rescued on a calm Sunday, December 29th. A family outing on Tampa Bay took a dramatic turn when their personal watercraft (PWC) became disabled near the iconic Sunshine Skyway Bridge. A father and his three children found themselves stranded. Their fun afternoon suddenly transformed into a precarious situation. Fortunately, the U.S. Coast Guard was quick to respond.

A distress signal from the disabled PWC alerted Coast Guard Station St. Petersburg. A boat crew from the station swiftly located the family, who were clinging to a navigational aid for safety, seeking refuge from the open water. As reported by WFLA, the rescue unfolded smoothly, with no injuries reported, a fact also confirmed by FOX 13 News.

Following the successful rescue, the Coast Guard transported the relieved family and their PWC to Demens Landing Park. This usually lively spot, known for the sounds of children playing and the city's gentle hum, became a scene of quiet gratitude as the family found solid ground once more.

Photographs released by the Coast Guard captured the family huddled together moments after their rescue, a powerful image of relief after their ordeal beneath the vast expanse of the Skyway Bridge. The incident serves as a powerful reminder of the unpredictable nature of the sea, and the vital role the U.S. Coast Guard plays in ensuring the safety of those who venture out onto the water. The swift and effective response by Station St. Petersburg prevented what could have been a far more dangerous situation, bringing a happy ending to this family's unexpected adventure.

 

Coast Guard Rescues 2 Boaters South of Puerto Rico

12/28/24 – San Juan, PR

Two men were rescued off the coast of Puerto Rico over the weekend of 28 to 29 December, after the U.S. Coast Guard said their boat ran out of fuel and capsized.

Officials said Coast Guard Sector San Juan watchstanders received an unregistered digital selective calling alert around 1 p.m. on 28 December, followed by a phone call from a good Samaritan reporting a vessel in distress about 5 miles south of Desecheo Island. A distress call was then received a few hours later from the two men, who reported that they had activated the digital selective calling alert earlier.

Coast Guard Found Boaters Wearing PFDs

An Air Station Borinquen Coast Guard Auxiliary crew located the two men and their 24-foot fishing vessel. Around 5 p.m., a helicopter arrived on the scene and found the two men wearing life jackets.

Coast Guard officials said that about five minutes later, the vessel capsized after taking on water from a wave in 6-8-foot seas and winds between 28-35 mph. Both men, who were uninjured, were hoisted from the rough water and brought to Air Station Borinquen.

No Fuel Leak After Sailboat Sinks in Hudson River

12/30/24 - Bronx, NY

A 30-foot sailboat at anchor sank in the Hudson River off of Henry Hudson Park, in the Bronx, but it did not appear that any fuel had leaked from the vessel, according to the state’s Department of Environmental Conservation (DEC).

Town police initially investigated the sinking of the boat on 30 December after witnesses spotted just the craft’s mast protruding from the surface. Deputy Police Chief James L. Rexford said the matter was turned over to DEC and the U.S. Coast Guard.

DEC said State Police divers examined the boat on 31 December to determine the owner’s identity. It was unclear if the owner had been notified or when the ship would be removed, although the vessel appeared to be anchored outside the navigation channel.

According to DEC, the boat did not represent an environmental or public health concern, but the agency intended to monitor the ship. DEC said the Coast Guard was also investigating.

Man Dies Days After Ice-Fishing Mishap with Grandson

12/26/24 – Addison, MI

A family was mourning the loss of a second parent and grandparent this week after a 66-year-old died, five days after falling through the ice with his grandson on a Michigan lake.

The Oakland County Sheriff's Office said Scott Levitan was removed from life support and died on 31 December. He had fallen through the ice on Michigan’s Lake George in Addison Township on 26 December.

Lake Ice Broke While Grandfather Drilled Hole

The sheriff's office said Levitan ventured onto the lake with his 15-year-old grandson from Pennsylvania for an afternoon of ice fishing. However, the ice broke beneath the 66-year-old while he was drilling a hole.

Levitan fell in and his grandson also fell through while trying to rescue him. A lakefront resident who witnessed the accident paddled out to them in a kayak and held Levitan's head above water until rescuers arrived. An ambulance rushed him to an area hospital, where he died. The 15-year-old was treated and released from an area hospital.

Levitan's 66-year-old wife, Mary Lou Levitan, died in a head-on crash on 27 December, a day after the ice fishing accident. Police say she was riding with other family members to Lake George to pick up her husband's vehicle when another driver crossed the center line and hit them.

 

Rescuers Search for Missing Person on Florida Lake

1/1/25 – Alachua Co., FL

Law enforcement continued to search for a missing man after a kayak was found abandoned on the night of 1 January, on Florida’s Lake Santa Fe.

According to Alachua County Sheriff’s Office (ACSO) spokesperson Art Forgey, a call came at 7:06 p.m. on 1 January about a missing person and an abandoned kayak. The ACSO dive team, along with Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission (FWC) personnel and Florida Highway Patrol (FHP), responded to the call.

The Clay County Sheriff’s Office (CCSO) joined FWC and ACSO the following morning to resume the search, according to Ashley Williams, the FWC North Region spokesperson.

1 Hospitalized After Canoe Overturns on Orlando Lake

12/29/24 – Orlando, FL

One person was transported to an area hospital after a canoe overturned near an Orlando lake on the morning of 29 December, according to the Orlando Fire Department.

Fire officials responded to the 500 block of Orlando’s Domino Drive upon initially receiving the call regarding an overturned canoe near Lake Mann. One person was transported to an area hospital, according to officials. Their condition was not immediately made clear.

Deputies Rescue 2 After Kayak Overturns on Lake

12/29/24 – Napa Co., CA

The Napa County Sheriff’s Office stressed the importance of life jackets after deputies rescued two men from Northern California’s Lake Berryessa on 29 December.

The sheriff’s office Marine Patrol unit responded in the morning to a report of an overturned kayak at the lake east of Putah Campground. Arriving deputies located two men in the water yelling for help.

Kayakers Treated for Hypothermia

“Fortunately, both men were wearing life jackets,” the sheriff’s office said. After deputies reached the kayakers and pulled them from the water, they were treated on scene for mild hypothermia, authorities said.

Cal Fire, American Medical Response, California Highway Patrol Air Operations and the Bureau of Reclamation assisted in the rescue response. “The life jackets and swift response by all agencies allowed both kayakers to make it home safely,” the Napa County Sheriff’s Office said.

To access BoatTEST’s archived “Accidents of the Week” become of a VIP Member of BoatTEST and learn how you can avoid accidents of all types. Click here...