Accidents of the Week - January 13, 2024
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Coast Guard Rescues Grounded Boaters on Christmas Eve
12/24/23 – Venice, LA
Two boaters were rescued by a helicopter crew from the US Coast Guard Air Station New Orleans on 24 December, near Venice, Louisiana.
Coast Guard officials explained that the two men needed rescuing after their boat ran aground on Christmas Eve. They added that both men had been transferred to EMS and were listed as stable.
Missing Kayaker’s Body Found in Lake Hartwell, South Carolina
12/27/23 – Oconee Co., SC
Divers recovered the body of missing man who had been missing since 27 December, when his kayak reportedly overturned in Lake Hartwell.
Karl Addis, County Coroner of Oconee County, South Carolina, identified the man as William Shane Haguewood, 47, of Fair Play. He said Haguewood’s body was found a little after noon on 30 December in the lake near the Port Bass development, near Fair Play.
Victim Not Wearing PFD
The kayak reportedly overturned at approximately 4:45 pm., late on the afternoon of 27 December, according to a news release from Addis. The county coroner added in his statement that Haguewood had been discovered about 44 feet underwater in the lake that was measured to be 49 degrees, with a surface water temperature of 52.
Emergency services director Scott Krein said divers used sonar equipment in a search that lasted several days before Haguewood’s body was discovered. He added that “a witness saw him ‘going down’ into the water.” Krein said the man was not wearing a life vest.
Boaters Rescued After 39-Foot Vessel Flips
1/1/24 – El Jobean, FL
After a 39-foot boating vessel flipped with seven passengers on board along the area of El Jobean, Florida, an active investigation was underway.
The Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission (FWC) launched an investigation into what transpired on the afternoon of 1 January. A passing boater stopped to give the passengers aid, said deputies in Charlotte County, Florida, then the boaters of the downed boat were transported by a fireboat to a nearby marina.
Six of the seven passengers were transported to a local medical facility for evaluation, according to FWC sources.
Stranded Boaters Rescued from Raging Waters in Georgia River
12/29/23 – Butts Co., GA
Two boaters were rescued after being stranded on an island in Georgia’s Ocmulgee River.
On Friday 29 December, Fire and Emergency Services crews in Butts County, Georgia, responded to an area near Lamar’s Mill Road to assist the boaters, who were trapped on an island due to raging water coming from Lloyd Shoals Dam.
The Georgia Department of Natural Resources requested the Covington Fire and Newton County Emergency Management Agency to assist in the swift-water boat rescue. After several hours, both of the men were rescued and taken to hospital for an evaluation.
Body Found in Galveston Bay Believed to be Missing Boater
12/29/23 – Texas City, TX
A body believed to be that of a missing boater was recovered on the afternoon of 30 December in Texas’ Galveston Bay, according to the commander of the search operation.
According to Coast Guard sources, they believed they had found the man who went missing after his sailboat capsized at about 4:30 p.m. on 29 December, one of two people on board before the boat overturned. The other person was rescued by Texas City rescuers shortly after a distress call was made.
Body Found at Intersection of Shipping Channels
The body was recovered by the Seabrook Fire Department's Marine Rescue crew in Texas City Y, an area where the Houston, Galveston, and Texas City ship channels intersect, after a nearly 20-hour search. Officials said Seabrook's Marine Division had found the body at about 12:25 p.m. Then, they reportedly transported the body to the U.S. Coast Guard station in Galveston.
The Coast Guard said the body matched the description of the missing boater, but they were waiting on official confirmation from the Galveston County Medical Examiner's Office. Since finding the body, the Coast Guard said they had suspended their search. Officials were yet to confirm what had caused the boat to capsize.
Crews Rescue Man from Sinking Sailboat in California
1/2/24 – Alameda, CA
Crews rescued a man from a sailboat sinking just off the coast in Alameda, California, on the night of 2 January.
The boat was reported submerged at about 5:30 p.m. Crews found one man aboard the 27-foot vessel. Two fire rescue boats responded to pull him out of the water and take him to the hospital. The rainy weather made the rescue more difficult, officials said.
"The tide was coming in and we had wind and rain conditions to operate in," Alameda Fire Division Chief Dave Port said. "The normal night was a challenge in itself." As of the night of Tuesday 2 January, the boat was still submerged in the water. There was no immediate update on the man's condition.
Boats Catch Fire on Mississippi River in Minnesota
1/3/24 – Dakota Co., MN
A houseboat fire was reported on the Mississippi River in Inver Grove Heights, Minnesota.
Several calls came into the Dakota County Dispatch at around 11:57 AM on Wednesday 3 January for a reported houseboat fire at the River Grove Harbor Inc., located off 102nd Street East and Inver Grove Trail in Inver Grove Heights, with initial scanner traffic stating that a few explosions might have occurred before the flames were seen.
While en route to the fire call, Inver Grove Heights Fire units reported seeing smoke, and the call was upgraded to a confirmed working structure fire at 12:03 PM, bringing mutual aid from the Eagan, Rosemount, and Mendota Heights Fire Departments. Initial units on the scene reported a narrow, steep, and icy road that made it difficult to get resources to the source of the fire.
Furthermore, according to a press release from the Inver Grove Heights Fire Department, a lack of fire hydrants near the source of the fire meant that several tankers were used to shuttle water to the fire scene.
Several boats caught fire according to the press release, although the exact number and estimated cost of damage was not readily available. No injuries were reported as a result of the blaze.