Accidents of the Week - January 31, 2026

Jan 29, 2026

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.

Coast Guard Rescues Boaters from Capsized Vessel

1/18/26 – Jacksonville, FL

Man beinf Rescued from Ocean — Two people were rescued 4 miles offshore by a Coast Guard crew after their 15-foot craft capsized

A Coast Guard Station Ponce de Leon Inlet boat crew rescued two people, on 18 January, after their 15-foot boat capsized 4 miles off Florida’s Ponce Inlet.

The boat crew arrived on scene, rescued the boaters from the water and transported them to Coast Guard Station Ponce de Leon Inlet with no reported medical concerns. A 911 dispatcher alerted Coast Guard Sector Jacksonville watchstanders of the boaters’ distress at 1:04 p.m.

The watchstanders stayed on the phone with the boaters until the boat crew arrived on scene.

Boater Rescued After Going Overboard in River

1/14/26 – Tulsa, OK

Man in a canoe — After going overboard, a man swam to the riverbank and later recovered his boat

First responders in Oak Grove, Oklahoma, used a drone to help find a boater who called 911 after an incident on the river.

The Oak Grove Fire Department says it responded on 14 January at about 1 p.m. after a boater struck a stump, which caused him to go overboard. During the incident, the boat's trolling motor battery also failed.

The boater was able to swim to the riverbank and call 911. While responders were en route, the unmanned boat drifted to the bank, allowing the man to reenter the boat and paddle to Bluff Landing.

Responders located the boater using a drone and launched a rescue boat. He was evaluated on scene by Broken Arrow Fire EMS and released with no serious injuries.

Boat Runs Aground Near High-Voltage Pole, 1 Rescued

1/18/26 – Falls Lake, NC

A Truck and 2 EMS Trucks on Road — Rescue crews assisted a man whose boat ran aground near a high-voltage pole

Emergency rescue crews responded to a boater in distress on 18 January at North Carolina’s Falls Lake.

According to the Raleigh-Wake Emergency Communications Center, a boat got stuck around 1:30 p.m. in shallow water yards away from the Highway 50 boat ramp on Raleigh’s Creedmoor Road.

Dispatch officials said water rescue crews from the Northern Wake Fire Department launched from the ramp to remove the man from the vessel. According to North Carolina State Parks, Falls Lake is 12,000 acres and spans across Durham and Wake counties.

Officials said the boat appeared to get stuck near a high-voltage pole, but added that rescue crews had found the man on the boat with no serious injuries.

Coast Guard Rescues Boaters from Sinking Vessel

1/17/26 – Monmouth Co., NJ

A submerged vessel — Three boaters were rescued from their 74-foot semi-submerged vessel by lifeboat and air crews

A Coast Guard Station Manasquan Inlet 47-foot Motor Lifeboat crew and Air Station Atlantic City MH-65 Dolphin aircrew rescued three mariners after their 74-foot boat began to sink approximately 4 nautical miles northeast of New Jersey’s Shark River Inlet on 17 January.

The Coast Guard Station Manasquan Inlet boat crew transported the mariners to awaiting emergency services at Manasquan Inlet.

At approximately 4 a.m., Coast Guard Sector Delaware Bay command center watch standers received notification from Monmouth County Dispatch that a 74-foot pleasure craft was taking on water off Shark River Inlet with three mariners aboard. Command center watchstanders launched the Station Manasquan Inlet boat crew and Air Station Atlantic City helicopter crew to assist.

Once on scene, the boat crew recovered the three mariners from their semi-submerged vessel and transported them to awaiting emergency services at Station Manasquan Inlet.

Coast Guard pollution responders worked with partners to formulate a salvage plan for the vessel, while the cause of the incident remained under investigation.

Coast Guard Rescues 3 from Sailboat 35 Miles Offshore

1/19/26 – Jupiter, FL

Disabled sailboat in the water — Three people were rescued from a disabled sailboat 35 miles off the Florida coast

The U.S. Coast Guard rescued three people aboard a broken-down sailboat 35 miles east of Jupiter Inlet, Florida, and towed them to the Bahamas.

USCGS shared on 19 January that the coast guard cutter towed the boat and three people to the coast of West End, Bahamas.

The Coast Guard has a long-standing partnership with The Bahamas that ensures rapid coordination during rescue operations.

Three Boats Catch Fire, Sink at Oregon Marina

1/19/26 – Umatilla, OR

Boat on fire in the river — Firefighters found three boats ablaze, one still moored at the marina and two others adrift in the river

Three boats sank on the morning of 19 January at the marina in Umatilla, Oregon, after catching fire. The Umatilla Rural Fire Protection District announced that the waterway into the marina was closed until further notice for cleanup.

At 6:27 a.m., the fire district received a call to respond to the Umatilla Marina for a boat on fire at a mooring slip, according to the district’s post on Facebook. Crews found three boats fully on fire; two boats were burning and drifting away from the dock and another was on fire while moored at the dock.

Fire Crews Protected Nearby Boats from Heat Damage

Crews extinguished the boat tied to the dock and protected nearby boats that were beginning to receive heat damage, according to the post.

The fire district launched its own boat and began extinguishing the flames on one of the drifting vessels. The Boardman Fire & Rescue District arrived and launched their boat to handle the second drifting boat. All three boats ultimately sank.

Umatilla Rural Fire Protection District Chief Chris Baker later reported that work was underway on the cleanup and recovery phase of the three boats.

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