Accidents of the Week - July 13, 2024
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Two Boaters, Dog Rescued 55 Miles from Florida Coast
6/30/24 – Palm Coast, FL
Two people and their dog were rescued after their boat stopped working over 50 miles from shore during the weekend of 29 to 30 June.
The U.S. Coast Guard (USCG) said the 38-foot boat stopped working 55 miles from Palm Coast, Florida. Following a distress signal from an emergency position-indicating radio beacon (EPIRB), a Clearwater station aircraft was able to find the stranded boaters and guide USCG water crews to their location.
After nearly 13 hours of towing, the boat arrived at the Morningstar Marinas in Jacksonville, Florida, on the morning of 1 July.
California Kayak Fisherman Survives Shark Encounter
7/2/24 – Gaviota, CA
A kayak fisherman survived a shark encounter on the morning of 2 July.
Adam Ramirez said it happened around 10 a.m. along the Gaviota Coast in Gaviota, California. Ramirez said he was fishing when he saw what looked like a 14-foot great white shark.
Ramirez said the shark knocked him off his kayak, but he managed to get back onboard quickly. He said the shark encounter left its mark on his kayak. Ramirez managed to paddle to shore despite the scratches and punctures. Ramirez, who recently moved to the nearby Solvang, California, said he had seen sharks before but had never experienced anything like this.
Despite the scare, Ramirez intended to fish again in that area after he got his kayak repaired.
Four Boaters Rescued from Capsized Catamaran
6/28/24 - Dauphin Island, AL
The Coast Guard rescued four boaters on 28 June near Dauphin Island, Alabama, after their boat capsized.
The incident occurred during a sailboat regatta from Gulfport, Mississippi, to Pensacola, Florida. At around 4:30 p.m., Coast Guard District Eight watchstanders received a distress signal from a personal locator beacon (PLB) linked to the 31-foot catamaran named Guacamaya.
Catamaran Overturned in Bad Weather, Crew Activated PLBs
Attempts to contact the registered phone number went unanswered. The Coast Guard then reached out to the boat owner's spouse, who confirmed the vessel was part of the regatta and had four people on board. Following this information, a rescue mission was initiated. A 45-foot Response Boat-Medium from Coast Guard Station Dauphin Island and an HC-144 Ocean Sentry aircraft from Coast Guard Aviation Training Center Mobile were dispatched.
The distressed boaters reported via VHF-FM Channel 16 that their catamaran had overturned due to bad weather. After the boat capsized, the four individuals stayed on the overturned vessel and activated their PLBs, making radio calls for help.
The Coast Guard boat crew arrived, took the four boaters aboard their vessel, and transported them to safety at Coast Guard Station Dauphin Island. No injuries were reported in the incident.
Crews Search for Woman Missing in Montana River
6/26/24 – Lincoln Co., MT
Searchers continued to look for a missing woman who disappeared while kayaking the Kootenai River on the evening of 26 June.
Members of the local David Thompson Search and Rescue searched the river and its banks a few miles below the China Rapids section of the waterway west of Libby, Montana. According to Lincoln County Sheriff Darren Short, the county and David Thompson Search and Rescue were using everything in their tool boxes to locate the missing woman, Jessica Prado.
In addition to dogs and a drone, underwater camera equipment was used to aid in the hunt for woman. Also, the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers held back water at Libby Dam to lower water levels on the river to assist searchers.
Sheriff Says Missing Kayaker Not Wearing PFD
According to a press release from the sheriff's office, dispatch received a call at about 7:58 p.m. Wednesday for Prado. She and Jared Satterlund were kayaking above Kootenai Falls when they began having problems. Satterlund tried to help Prado, but he last saw her struggling in an eddy in the river before losing sight of her.
Short said the two people were not wearing life vests when their 2-person kayak capsized just below China Rapids. They had made arrangements to be picked up above Kootenai Falls. A dog that had accompanied them was also able to get out of the river along with Satterlund.
Deputies from the Lincoln County Sheriff’s Office and David Thompson Search and Rescue responded to search for Prado. A cooler was found near the shore above Kootenai Falls and the damaged kayak and other property were recovered below Kootenai Falls.
Fire Crews Tackle Boat, Dock Blaze in South Carolina
6/30/24 – Georgetown, SC
Fire crews responded to a boat and dock fire in Georgetown, South Carolina, on Sunday 30 June.
The fire erupted in the 400 block of Front Street. Georgetown County Fire and EMS Medic 9 and Engine 22 responded to the fire alongside Georgetown City Fire and Midway Fire Rescue.
According to the City Fire Chief, Charlie Cribb, the name of the burning boat was Old Smoky, and the vessel was docked in Georgetown’s Cannon Street area.
Woman Dies in Tubing Accident on Oregon River
6/29/24 – Eugene, OR
A woman who died on 29 June after crashing into a boat on Oregon’s Willamette River was riding an inflatable tube at the time, the Multnomah County Sheriff’s Office said.
Officials had initially reported that the woman, 24-year-old Kaileigh Seidel, had fallen from a boat before being hit by another boat. However, according to Seidel’s family, she was on an inner tube attached to a boat driven by a friend, when she crashed into another boat on the river.
Seidel was taken to a nearby hospital, where she was pronounced dead. The Multnomah County Sheriff’s Office was investigating the death.
Two Rescued from Sinking Boat in Long Island Sound
6/27/24 – Northport, NY
Two people were saved from a sinking boat in Northport, New York, by Suffolk County Police Marine Bureau officers on 27 June.
A report came in that a boat was in distress approximately one mile north of Eatons Neck Lighthouse, in the Long Island Sound, at 1:55 p.m. Marine Bureau officers Erik Johnson and Timothy Dillon responded in Marine Bravo.
Officers found the 1997 Bayliner Trophy boat’s cabin and stern partially submerged in water, and alongside personnel of the Town of Huntington Harbor Master, they proceeded to remove water from the vessel, enabling Marine Bravo to tow the boat to the Soundview boat ramp in Northport.
The operator of the boat, Maurice Arvon, 76, of Amityville, and passenger Stonie Hertzot, 71, of Deer Park, were not injured, police said.
Boat Catches Fire in Florida Bay, No Injuries Reported
6/30/24 – Panama City, FL
Authorities said they were investigating a boat fire that happened early morning on Sunday, 30 June in Saint Andrew Bay, Florida.
Officials with the U.S. Coast Guard said in a post on social media that the fire was reported to their Sector Mobile around 4:30 a.m. Sunday. They said it was a 46-50ft sport fisher vessel that had caught fire in Saint Andrew Bay.
No injuries were reported, and no further information was available.
Boat Catches Fire on Intracoastal Waterway in Florida
7/4/24 – Ponte Vedra Beach, FL
No one was injured after a boat was fully engulfed in flames on July 4th on the Intracoastal Waterway, off North Roscoe Boulevard in Ponte Vedra Beach, Florida.
The St. Johns County Fire Rescue (SJFR) and other marine units put out the flames around 4:30 p.m. A SJFR spokesperson said no one was aboard the boat when it caught fire.
It was unclear what had caused the fire.
Three People Rescued by Coast Guard After Boat Sinks
6/29/24 - St. Petersburg, FL
Three people were rescued after their boat sank off Tampa Bay’s Egmont Key on the night of 29 June, according to the Coast Guard.
Officials explained they were found by a rescue crew out of St. Peterburg, Florida, around 10 p.m. The Coast Guard said survivors called for assistance on Ch. 16 and wore life jackets.
The vessel was not a hazard to navigation, according to authorities.