Accidents of the Week - January 3, 2026

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Coast Guard Rescues 2 After Sailboat Mast Snaps

12/17/25 – Tarpon Springs, FL

Two boaters were rescued in the early hours of 17 December after their sailboat's mast broke on the rough waters off Florida's Gulf Coast, the U.S. Coast Guard said.

Just before 3:25 a.m., a USCG Southeast District watchstander received a distress notification regarding a 30-foot sailing vessel that became disabled approximately 40 miles west of Tarpon Springs, prompting the USCG to launch a helicopter rescue crew to the signal's location. Tarpon Springs is approximately 30 miles northwest of Tampa.

Sailboat Lost Mast in ‘4 to 6-Foot Seas’

Shortly before 4:50 a.m., the aircrew arrived at the scene and found the boaters and their de-masted sailboat in "4 to 6-foot seas and 20 knot [23 mph] winds," the USCG said.

In a video from the rescue mission shared by the Coast Guard, the aircrew was seen deploying a rescue swimmer, who swiftly swam to the disabled vessel and helped each boater to the helicopter's lift.

The USGC said both boaters were in stable condition and safely taken to Air Station Clearwater.

Kayaker Capsizes in Frigid Massachusetts Waters 

12/18/25 – Harwich, MA

A kayaker was plunged into 42-degree water after capsizing off Red River Beach in Harwich, Massachusetts, around 8:30 AM on 18 December.

Emergency crews actively responded to a water rescue involving a kayaker in distress after the kayak overturned approximately 500 yards off Harwich’s Red River Beach. Harwich Fire Department units were deployed, with the Harwich Harbormaster and the U.S. Coast Guard also notified and responding to the scene.

The adult male kayaker was able to make it back to the shoreline on his own and was evaluated for possible hypothermia, after falling into the water at a temperature estimated to be around 42 degrees.

Three Injured After Boat Allision on Colorado River

12/12/25 – Mohave Co., AZ

Three people were injured in a boating allision on the Colorado River on 12 December, according to the Sheriff’s Office in Mohave County, Arizona.

At around 3:30 p.m. 12 December, Mohave County sheriff’s deputies, along with the San Bernardino County Fire Department fireboat, responded to the mouth of the Colorado River following reports of the single-vessel collision.

Once they arrived on scene, deputies learned that three occupants had already been pulled out of the water by Good Samaritans prior to emergency personnel arriving. The vessel involved was flipped and resting in around five feet of water. According to the Mohave County Sheriff’s Office, the preliminary investigation indicated that the southbound vessel hit a sandbar, causing it to flip and eject the occupants.

All three occupants were transported via the fireboat to Lake Havasu State Park. All occupants were then taken by River Medical to Havasu Regional Medical Center for further treatment.

Two people sustained minor injuries, with the third occupant suffering serious injuries. An investigation was ongoing. 
 

Missing Kayaker's Body Found in Texas Reservoir

12/15/25 – Fort Worth, TX

Crews found the body of a man consistent with the description given of a kayaker reported missing at Marine Creek Reservoir in Fort Worth, Texas, the Tarrant Regional Water District (TRWD) reported on 17 December.

"Although, we do believe that this is the missing kayaker, the Medical Examiner's office will be responsible for positively identifying the deceased person," Fort Worth police said.

Around 8 p.m. on 15 December, the man was reported missing to the Fort Worth police; the family said their last contact with him was around 10 a.m. that day, when he said he was going fishing and kayaking. They said his location last pinged near the reservoir.

Meanwhile, multiple family members identified the missing kayaker as 24-year-old Juan Silvestre Salgado. Officers found his vehicle parked near a boat ramp, and Fort Worth police Air One found his empty kayak on the east side of the lake.

Fort Worth Fire Department dive teams, Texas Game Wardens, TRWD, and Fort Worth took part in the search from 15 December until the body was found two days later. The investigation was ongoing. 
 

2 Men Vanish After Going Fishing Off Florida Coast

12/19/25 – Lee Co., FL

Two men vanished while fishing on 19 December off the coast of Florida’s Lee County, and a U.S. Coast Guard helicopter found their empty boat the following morning.

Attorneys Brandon Billmaier and his uncle Randall L. Spivey left fishing on the morning of 19 December and did not that afternoon as planned, according to relatives.

During a search for Billmaier, 33, and Spivey, 57, the U.S. Coast Guard reported finding their empty boat early the following morning, about 70 miles off Fort Myers.
 

Duck Hunter Rescued After Kayak Overturns  

12/20/25 – Livingston Co., NY

A duck hunter was rescued on the morning of 20 December, after his kayak overturned on Upstate New York’s Conesus Lake. The 911 Center in Livingston County, New York, received a call about 8:15 a.m. reporting that a hunter was in a kayak that had overturned with the individual in the water.

The call prompted a response from the Geneseo Fire Department, Livingston County EMS and the Livingston County Sheriff's Office. They responded to the area of Blue Heron Drive where a group of duck hunters reported that a member of their party had overturned from his kayak and another hunter had gone to assist him in another kayak, the fire department explained on social media.

The victim was successfully brought to shore, treated for hypothermia, and transported to hospital in Rochester, while firefighters using their own boat retrieved the overturned kayak.
 

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