Accidents of the Week - January 4, 2025
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Coast Guard Assists Man, Dog in Christmas Day Rescue
12/25/24 – Jefferson Co., WA
A man and a dog were rescued by the U.S. Coast Guard from a sailboat that ran aground during dangerous weather on Christmas Day.
The Jefferson County Sheriff’s Office in Washington State received a call from a passerby at about 7 a.m. about a man in distress between the port of Port Townsend and the PT Paper Mill. The caller said the man was struggling to navigate his sailboat in the strong winds and asked the passerby to call for help.
The sailboat ran aground near the Larry Scott Trail, leaving the sailor and his canine companion stranded on the boat with waves crashing around them.
A U.S. Coast Guard rescue swimmer from the Air Station Port Angeles was able to help both the man and his dog to safety, and they did not suffer any injuries.
Four People Rescued from Canoe on Pennsylvania Lake
12/23/24 – Conneaut Lake, PA
Four people had to be rescued from a canoe on Pennsylvania’s Conneaut Lake early morning on 23 December.
The Conneaut Lake Volunteer Fire Department was called to a reported water rescue near Lake Front Street, south of Hotel Conneaut, at 5:30 a.m. According to the report, three people were in the canoe on the lake, and one person was in the water. The person in the water was able to get back into the canoe before emergency responders arrived.
Multiple crews responded to aid the Conneaut Lake Volunteer Fire Department, including a scuba team that used a hovercraft to get to those in the canoe and bring them back to shore safely. The last person was back on shore at 6:36 a.m.
1 Killed, 5 Hospitalized After Florida Boat Explosion
12/23/24 – Fort Lauderdale, FL
One person was dead and five others were hospitalized after a boat explosion at a marina in Fort Lauderdale, Florida, on 23 December, officials said.
Fort Lauderdale Fire Rescue responded to multiple 911 calls reporting an explosion aboard a vessel at the Lauderdale Marina just before 6 p.m. They arrived to find a significant fire on one vessel that quickly spread to a second.
Five people were transported to nearby hospitals, three with traumatic injuries, officials said. They said that divers searched the water for one person who was missing after the blast. The Broward Sheriff’s Office later found that person deceased.
Black Smoke Billowed into Sky
The explosion was captured on an EarthCam feed set up at the marina. The video showed the moment the boat exploded and over three minutes of the aftermath. People could be seen running up and down the dock as the boat fire grew larger and black smoke billowed into the sky.
Multiple agencies were coordinating investigation efforts to determine the cause of the explosion, including the Fort Lauderdale Police Department, Broward Sheriff's Office, Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission and the U.S. Coast Guard.
Fire officials said that once the vessels had been removed from the water and could be more closely examined by investigators, they would have a better idea of what happened.
Coast Guard Rescues Two Off Cape Hatteras
12/18/24 – Cape Hatteras, NC
A boat with a failing engine and two aboard was rescued by U.S. Coast Guard crews and good Samaritans.
The U.S. Coast Guard Station Hatteras Inlet said a call for help from a 21-foot boat reporting a failing engine came in around 4:30 p.m. on Wednesday 18 December. The boat, named Roe Boat, was calling from Northeast Diamond Shoals, about 46 miles from the Coast Guard station.
The Coast Guard said a good Samaritan took the vessel in tow, but the weather conditions got worse, forcing the boater to drop the stranded boat. Within 12 minutes, officials say Station Hatteras Inlet’s crew went into action. A crew 47 faced 5 to 6-foot waves and wind gusts around 20 miles per hour.
The two people and the boat were towed to the Village Marine boat ramp. They arrived safely around 11:30 p.m. The rescued boaters were able to remove the water from Roe Boat and get repairs arranged.
Coast Guard Calls Off Search for Two Missing Boaters
12/23/24 – San Pedro, CA
With dangerous surf and high winds roiling Southern California’s coast, authorities suspended their search for two men whose capsized boat washed ashore along the Palos Verdes Peninsula.
The men went fishing aboard a small boat on the afternoon of 23 December, launching from San Pedro, according to a Coast Guard spokesperson. At the time, weather forecasters had issued a small craft advisory, warning boaters in Los Angeles County that there could be waves up to 10 feet high.
Boaters Not Found After 30-Plus Hours
When the men didn’t return, they were reported missing around 5 a.m. the following day. About a half-hour later, their overturned boat was discovered by passersby along a stretch of rocky shoreline in Palos Verdes Estates, the Coast Guard spokesperson said. The men, however, were not aboard.
The Coast Guard and several law enforcement agencies scoured the choppy waters with rescue boats, drones and helicopters but had not found the men by the afternoon of Christmas Day.
After more than 30 hours without receiving a distress call, the Coast Guard announced it had paused the search.
Duck Hunter Rescued After Boat Propeller Injury
12/21/24 – Willard, UT
A duck hunter was rescued from a life-threatening injury early morning on 20 December after his leg was severely injured by a boat propeller at Utah’s Willard Bay, prompting a multi-agency response.
The Willard Fire Department reported they were dispatched to the northwest area of Willard Bay at around 7 a.m. after receiving reports of a traumatic injury. The victim, whose name was not released at the time, had sustained significant damage to his right leg after it became caught in the boat’s propeller. Upon arrival, responders found the victim in critical condition, with severe lacerations and a broken leg.
‘Immediate Intervention’ Stabilized Injured Hunter
“We arrived to find the patient in critical condition,” said a spokesperson for the Willard Fire Department. “His leg had been severely injured, and immediate intervention was crucial to stabilize him.” The rescue effort involved multiple units from the Willard Fire Department, including an airboat.
After being treated at the scene, the victim was flown by helicopter to McKay Dee Hospital in Ogden, Utah, although authorities did not disclose his identity or condition.
“The teamwork displayed by all the agencies involved was exceptional, and it’s thanks to their combined efforts that we were able to get the patient the care he needed as quickly as possible,” the fire department’s statement said.
Capsized Boat Rescued Off California Coast; Three Reported Safe
12/19/24 – Santa Barbara Co., CA
A capsized 12-14’ aluminum boat near the Razors area off Santa Barbara, California, was successfully rescued on December 19.
Three men aboard the vessel were safely brought to shore without medical complaints. Two of the men paddled to safety using surfboards, while the third man stayed with the vessel and hailed for help via marine radio.
Santa Barbara County (SBC) Fire and California State Lifeguards arrived on scene, and paddle-boarders assisted in reaching the stranded individual. The boat was then towed to Gaviota Beach by SBC Fire Rescue Watercraft.
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