Accidents of the Week - July 4, 2026
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1 Hospitalized, 2 Injured in Lake Elsinore Boat Fire
6/13/26 – Riverside Co., CA
One person was hospitalized and two others were injured in a boat fire in California’s Lake Elsinore on June 13.
Riverside County firefighters were called to the area just before 6:30 p.m. after receiving reports of a burning boat in the middle of the lake. Photos from the scene showed heavy smoke billowing into the air as the vessel became engulfed.
One person was transported to the hospital with moderate injuries and two others with minor injuries declined transport, authorities said.
Firefighters were taken by boat to the burning vessel and used a portable pump from a reserve apparatus to extinguish the blaze. Images of the aftermath showed that the majority of the small boat was reduced to charred debris as crews eventually towed the boat from the water.
The cause of the fire remained under investigation by Cal Fire and the Riverside County sheriff’s and fire departments.
Deputies Find Body of Missing Kayaker at Arizona Lake
6/6/26 – Apache Junction, AZ
A devastating ending to a search for a man who was missing for days in Arizona’s Tonto National Forest.
The Maricopa County Sheriff’s Office confirmed its Lake Patrol Division recovered Tyron “Ty” Keyonnie’s body around 8 p.m. at Canyon Lake. It was unclear what had led to his death.
Keyonnie was last seen June 5 and texted back the following day, around noon. He told his family he was going to Canyon Lake and that he had a conversation with a kayaking group member just after 9 p.m. on the 6th.
He was reported missing to the Phoenix Police Department on June 9. His white truck with a Tonto Pass was found at the Acacia Recreation Site at Canyon Lake with all his camping gear still inside.
The Maricopa County Office of the Medical Examiner was set to determine the cause of death.
Boat Crashes into Woods on Intracoastal Waterway
6/13/26 – Horry Co., SC
No injuries were reported after a boat crashed into the woods on the Intracoastal Waterway (ICW), which caused a minor fuel spill, Horry County Fire Rescue (HCFR) said.
Crews responded to the ICW near Bucksport, South Carolina, with the HCFR soon reporting that the incident was under control. Crews worked to mitigate the hazards and to stem the fuel leak.
The South Carolina Department of Natural Resources was investigating the incident.
Woman Killed in Collision Between PWCs
6/14/26 – Jefferson Co., KS
A woman died and a man was arrested after a fatal crash involving two personal watercraft (PWC) June 14 at Lake Perry in Jefferson County, northeast Kansas.
Hannah Heflin, 22, of Olathe, was killed in the collision, which was reported about 6 p.m., Jefferson County Sheriff Timothy Bacon said in a news release.
Carter Page, 20, was arrested in connection with vehicular homicide by the Kansas Department of Wildlife and Parks, Bacon said.
5 People Injured After Boat Catches Fire, Capsizes
6/14/26 – Portland, OR
Five people were injured while escaping a boat fire on the Willamette River in Portland, Oregon, on the afternoon of June 14, authorities said.
Crews saw people jumping from the boat into the water as a column of black smoke rose from the flames, before the boat’s rear half sank. The Multnomah County Sheriff’s Office said that five people were injured, but all with non-life-threatening injuries.
Portland Fire and Rescue said in a post on X, “Crews from the Central Eastside station located on the Willamette River have been dispatched to a reported personal pleasure boat on fire. Fireboat 21 has arrived and confirms a small personal pleasure craft on fire. All people that were on the boat have evacuated safely.”
Firefighters added that they had sent out a medic unit as a precaution while crews continued to extinguish the fire.
Missing Boater Found Dead in Maine Lake
6/14/26 – Rockland, ME
The Maine Warden Service recovered the body of a man from Rockland, Maine, who went missing while boating on the state’s Chickawaukie Lake on June 14.
Game wardens said divers located Timothy Payson, 59, of Rockland, at about 10:20 p.m. in approximately 15 feet of water after an hours-long search involving divers, sonar equipment and multiple local emergency agencies.
Witness Spotted Boat Circling Unattended
The search began that morning after a Rockland resident reported hearing a man yelling for help from the lake around 8 a.m. The resident went to the shoreline while his wife called 911 and found a small Zodiac-style boat circling unattended with a dog onboard. No one was seen in the boat or in the water.
Firefighters from Rockland and Rockport boarded the vessel and shut off the engine, but the operator could not be located.
The Warden Service’s dive team began searching the lake around 1 p.m. and continued operations after dark using sonar-equipped watercraft. Payson was found late that evening.
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