Accidents of the Week

Accidents of the Week - January 25, 2025

Accidents, Boat Wrecks, MOB, Crew Save, USCG, Sailors Stranded, Left at Sea

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.

Two Boaters Rescued from Ice in Ohio River

1/10/25 – Newcomerstown, OH

Accidents of the week, Boat Fire, Grounding, USCG, Drowning, Rescue Efforts

An Ohio fire department responded with a cold-water rescue team after a small boat got stuck in ice.

In freezing conditions, use extreme caution around bodies of water, firefighters in Newcomerstown, Ohio, reminded the public.

The village fire department was called to the River Street bridge area for two men whose small boat became stuck in ice on Ohio’s Tuscarawas River shortly before 5 p.m. on 10 January.

The department responded with boats and cold-water rescue members, along with assistance from the Arrowhead Joint Fire District and the West Lafayette Fire Department.

Firefighters located the men inside the boat and assisted them to shore without incident or injury.

Three Injured When Boat Crashes into Home Dock

1/12/25 – Cape Coral, FL

Accidents of the week, Boat Fire, Grounding, USCG, Drownings, Rescue Efforts

A home dock was damaged in a boat crash that sent three people to hospital for their injuries.

A boat crash that injured three people in Cape Coral, Florida, was being investigated by the state’s Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission (FWC).

The crash was reported to FWC on the night of 12 January at Lake Kennedy, located off Santa Barabara Boulevard, east of Sun Splash water park in Southeast Cape Coral.

According to the FWC, four people were present on the boat. The boat crossing Lake Kennedy crashed into a dock behind a home. The Cape Coral Police Department, the Cape Coral Fire Department and Lee County EMS assisted FWC during their response.

According to authorities, the three occupants were transported to the hospital for their injuries. The cause of the crash remained under investigation.

Boater Rescued from Overturned Boat on Florida Lake

1/10/25 – Starke, FL

Accidents of the week, Boat Fire, Grounding, USCG, Drownings, Rescue Efforts

A boater was assisted by local rescuers in Northern Florida after his vessel overturned.

A boater was rescued after calls of an overturned boat on Sampson Lake in Bradford County, Florida.

Bradford County Fire Rescue, as well as the Sheriff’s Office, responded and used their marine units to locate the boater. The boater was reportedly alone at the time of the incident and was being treated by paramedics.

Florida Fish and Wildlife (FWC) was investigating the incident.

Marina Fire Destroys Boat, Damages Two Others

1/13/25 – Prince William Co., VA

Accidents of the week, Boat Fire, Grounding, USCG, Drownings, Rescue Efforts

One boat was destroyed and two more were damaged in a marina fire in Virginia.

A boat docked at a marina in Woodbridge, Virginia, caught fire on 13 January, destroying the vessel and damaging two others, Prince William County Fire and Rescue Department officials said.

Fire crews were called to the 16200 block of Neabsco Way at around 10 a.m. for reports of a fire in the bay. Officials said the fire was contained with no injuries and no rescues reported. There was "limited damage on two nearby boats,” according to officials.

Several boat docks are located along the stretch of Neabsco Way, including the EZ Cruz Marina, The Pilot House, and Hampton's Landing Marina.

Officials said the fire remained under investigation.

Rescue Crews Respond to 100-Foot Yacht on Fire in Fort Lauderdale

1/11/25 – Fort Lauderdale, FL

Accidents of the week, Boat Fire, Grounding, USCG, Drownings, Rescue Efforts

No injuries were reported in a fire that reportedly started in the engine room of a 100-foot yacht.

A 100-foot yacht that caught on fire in Fort Lauderdale, Florida, on 11 January prompted a swift response by rescue crews.

Fort Lauderdale Fire Rescue arrived at the scene at 2301 Southeast 17th Street after there was a fire in the boat's engine room. No injuries were reported

74-Year-Old Rescued After Kayak Stuck in Mud

1/12/25 – Port Isabel, TX

Accidents of the week, Boat Fire, Grounding, USCG, Drownings, Rescue Efforts

A 74-year-old kayaker was assisted by rescuers after spending five hours stranded in the mud.

A 74-year-old man was rescued on the evening of 12 January after being stranded on his kayak for five hours in San Martin Lake, near Port Isabel, Texas.

According to Texas Parks and Wildlife (TPW), the call came in to the U.S. Coast Guard at about 5:20 p.m., regarding a man who had not made contact with his wife all day after going fishing in San Martin Lake. The U.S. Coastguard sent out a helicopter crew and TPW deployed boats in search of the 74-year-old.

Authorities said the man was suspected of getting disoriented with the nightfall. He was rescued near Goose Island Lake where his kayak was stuck in the mud.

The man was recovered at about 10 p.m. with the help of the Brownsville Fire Department and state agencies. EMS said he had no injuries and was reunited with his family.

Boat Catches Fire Along Florida Creek

1/15/25 – Lee Co., FL

Accidents of the week, Boat Fire, Grounding, USCG, Drownings, Rescue Efforts

No injuries were reported after a 15- to 16-foot boat caught fire near mangroves in a Florida creek.

A boat caught on fire near the mangroves along Mullock Creek in south Fort Myers, Florida, on 15 January.

According to the San Carlos Park Fire District, crews were dispatched to 18500 Mullock Creek Lane just before noon. The South Trail Fire Protection & Rescue Service District responded to the scene, where crews found a 15- to 16-foot boat.

The only passenger jumped from the boat and swam to safety. There were no injuries.

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