Accidents of the Week - July 27, 2024
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.
Boaters Swim to Safety After Fire on Board
7/13/24 – Two Rivers, WI
Boaters were forced to swim to safety on the morning of 13 July, after their vessel caught fire in the Two Rivers Harbor, in Wisconsin.
According to the Two Rivers Fire Department (TRFD), firefighters were dispatched to the harbor just before 11:00 a.m. for a 32-foot charter fishing boat that was fully engulfed in flames and giving off heavy black smoke. Officials said the boat crew noted an explosion and fire on the boat shortly before calling 911, and they escaped by swimming to shore.
“The TRFD was assisted on scene by the US Coast Guard whose quick actions secured the boat to the sea wall, which allowed fire crews to extinguish the flames from shore,” the fire department stated in a press release, which went on to say that HazMat teams had arrived to conduct chemical clean-up and containment, and that efforts were being made to salvage the boat from the water.
The cause of the fire and explosion remained under investigation.
Man Dies in PWC Crash with Boat on Miami Intracoastal
7/14/24 – Miami, FL
Authorities were investigating after a New York man died on 14 July, when his personal watercraft (PWC) collided with a boat along the Intracoastal Waterway in Miami-Dade County.
Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission (FWC) officers said the collision occurred between a personal watercraft and a 42-foot Yellowfin center console in the Intracoastal Waterway, half a mile south of Broad Causeway. The operator of the watercraft, Zlotnyk Vladyslav, 23, was transported to shore by four good Samaritans who witnessed the crash, authorities confirmed.
FWC officials said Vladyslav succumbed to his injuries despite their efforts to save the victim. FWC confirmed that a full incident report would be released once their investigation had concluded.
Barstool Owner Rescued by Coast Guard off Nantucket
7/15/24 – Nantucket, MA
The owner and founder of Barstool Sports lost control of a boat off Massachusetts before being rescued by the U.S. Coast Guard. Dave Portnoy, 47, said in a TikTok video that the harrowing rescue off Nantucket happened on 15 July after he unhooked his boat from buoys.
Heavy winds caused him to drift out to sea, and his engine was dead, he said. Portnoy said another boater saw that he was in distress and radioed the Coast Guard. Coast Guard rescuers towed the boat back to mooring, Portnoy said.
He said he appreciated the work of the “four burly dudes” who rescued him, and that he might be finished with boating for a while.
Sailboat Occupants Safe After Boat Overturns
7/13/24 – Jackson Co., MO
Occupants of a sailboat that flipped over and sank in Lake Jacomo, Missouri, were rescued by park rangers in Jackson County on 13 July.
Lee’s Summit Underwater Rescue & Recovery (LSUR) shared photos of the search and rescue on Facebook. According to LSUR, rangers were dispatched to Lake Jacomo just after 2 p.m. on Saturday 13 July.
LSUR eventually recovered the sailboat and got it back to the marina just after sunset.
Champion Surfer ‘Lucky to be Alive’ After Being Run Over by Boat
7/9/24 – Honolulu, HI
A well-known Maui waterman was recovering after being injured in the waters off Maui’s North Shore.
Zane Schweitzer, 30, said he was out training for a stand-up paddling competition on 9 July when the accident happened. According to Schweitzer, he came upon a group of dolphins that were riding on the same swell as him and he took advantage of the rare and beautiful moment and jumped off his board to look below the surface.
However, his escort boat had also turned around during this moment and was suddenly headed back toward him. “They probably also noticed the dolphin pod,” he said. “I only had time to lift my head and put my hands in front of my face before the boat hit me.”
Schweitzer said he suffered several hairline fractures and cuts from the propeller blade on his face and back.
“The prop and the engine got me on my back, and the lower part of the body,” he said. While in the hospital, Schweitzer missed attending the ESPY awards in Los Angeles, where fellow Maui surfers were honored for helping their community after the Lahaina wildfire disaster. He also missed the Paddle Imua contest.
‘Top Chef’ Contestant, Judge Dies in Tubing Accident
7/13/24 – Benton Co., OR
Chef and television personality Naomi Pomeroy has died. She was 49.
She and her husband, Kyle Linden Webster, were tubing on Oregon’s Willamette River when their tubes hit a partially submerged branch.
Pomeroy, Webster, and a friend were thrown into the water. Webster said he and their friend were able to get to shore, but Pomeroy was not. A paddleboard leash hampered her ability to free herself, according to a news release from the Benton County Sheriff’s Office.
“Do not tie yourself to a paddle board unless you have a quick release leash,” the Sheriff’s Office reminded people enjoying time on the river. “Also, do not tie two or more inner tubes together; this requires you to have a life jacket for each person.”
Fishermen Swim Ashore After Boat Capsizes in Lake Ontario
7/14/24 – Kendall, NY
Two fishermen were able to swim ashore after their boat capsized in Lake Ontario on 14 July.
Peter Keppler, 71, of Medina and William Wittman, 44, of Albion, New York, were fishing on a 26-foot fishing boat approximately 5 miles offshore, said Orleans County Sheriff Chris Bourke. “At some point, the vessel began taking on water and the bilge pump was not functioning,” Bourke explained in a news release.
Wearing PFDs, Boaters Swam to Shore After Five Hours in Water
“The two individuals equipped with life vests eventually ended up in the water. After being in the water for over five hours, the two individuals were able to successfully swim to shore at Knapp Shores in Kendall.” The vessel was found partially submerged in Lake Ontario the following morning by Orleans County Sheriff Marine Division Deputies Ryan Flaherty and Jason Barnum.
The vessel was found approximately 4 miles northeast of Bald Eagle Marina in the Town of Kendall, New York, near the Monroe-Orleans County line. Orleans County Sheriff’s Marine Division was assisted by U.S. Customs and Border Protection Air and Marine.
“Thankfully, nobody was injured during the incident, and the occupants made it to shore safely,” Bourke said. “The U.S. Coast Guard was notified of the incident and are planning to remove the vessel as it was determined to be a hazard to other boaters.”
Father, Son Missing After Fishing Boat Capsizes
7/13/24 – Astoria, OR
A Camas family of seven was mourning the loss of a father and son after they were lost at sea during a fishing trip over the weekend of 13 to 14 July.
The Coast Guard said they had searched for 43-year-old Constantin Leahu and 11-year-old Andrei Leahu after their boat capsized near Astoria, Oregon, on 13 July, but that they were yet to be found. “I don’t think we have a lot of hope to find them alive at this point and so we’re trying to figure out the next steps,” said Irina Negrean, a friend of the Leahu family.
Constantin and his wife had four daughters and a son, Andrei, who took after his father, a family man and an avid fisherman, Negrean said.
21 People Suffer Carbon Monoxide Poisoning on Houseboat
7/17/24 – Kane Co., UT
Twenty-one people on a houseboat on Lake Powell, Utah, were treated for carbon monoxide poisoning on 17 July, the third such incident reported in the area this month.
A small group of people were playing games in the boat's living room around midnight when they started to feel sick. Some stood up and collapsed, while a few more went to the back of the boat and started throwing up. That group woke everyone else up and got everyone off the boat, which was in Face Canyon.
"We came home, we were laughing at dinner and then we just went to bed, and a handful of others and woke up 30 minutes later to a traumatizing experience," explained Kaizley Eades who was on the boat.
Hyperbaric Chamber Used to Treat CO Poisoning
Glen Canyon National Recreation Area rangers responded to the privately-owned houseboat in Face Canyon after a call reported that just four people were possibly suffering from CO poisoning. Upon arriving, rangers identified a total of 21 patients on the houseboat.
Five medical helicopters were dispatched to the scene to assist in transporting patients, with three adults and two juveniles ending up having to be airlifted to St. George Regional Hospital. "We've been told by several doctors we should have all been dead in our sleep," shared Kaizley, who was one of those hospitalized.
All the other patients on the houseboat were treated on the scene, but ended up going to the hospital later. "They put every one of us, including a newborn baby, through the hyperbaric chamber to hopefully help us all recover that way," said Ryker Eades.