Accidents of the Week - June 13, 2026

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Four Rescued by Charter Captain After Boat Sinks

5/14/26 – Biloxi, MS

A routine fishing trip out of Gulfport, Mississippi, became a desperate overnight fight for survival in treacherous Gulf waters.

Three adults and a child were aboard the Tail Fanning fishing boat, headed for a day on the water near the Gulf’s Chandeleur Islands. “There was a lot of excitement, you know; we felt like we made it this far and we only had a little bit further to go to get all the fish,” Dillon Titus, who was aboard the Tail Fanning fishing boat, said.

Then, thunderstorms slammed the area, whipping up rough seas and powerful waves that quickly flooded the cabin while the crew was asleep, forcing them to evacuate without any of their gear or life jackets.

“It happened all so fast,” Justin House, who was aboard the Tail Fanning fishing boat, said. “I mean, we were sleeping, everybody was sleeping, then we had nothing. We didn’t have our life jackets, we didn’t have anything, and it just was really surreal.”

Saved After a Handheld Radio Washed Ashore

The group swam to the east side of the Chandeleur Islands, exhausted, stranded, and unsure if anyone even knew where they were. After hours of no hope, a handheld radio washed ashore — and with it, a last lifeline call for help.

At the other end of that call was Compass Rose captain T.J. Fountain, who heard their plea for help. “Instantly, a little bit of anxiety is all I remember at the time, but as far as I remember, I’ve always been taught that you got to lock in, because that split second can make the difference in life and death for someone’s life,” Fountain said.

“Knowing that someone out there heard us was just the most uplifting thing I’ve ever experienced in my entire life,” Tail Fanning captain Austin Rea said. In the darkness and rough conditions, the Compass Rose crew eventually found all four survivors and brought them safely aboard.

For 8-year-old Sawyer Titus, who was aboard the Tail Fanning boat when it sank, the rescue marked the end of a terrifying ordeal that could have ended much differently.

 

Man Suffers Severe Burns in Boat Fire Accident

5/25/26 – Pender Co., NC

“I’m happy to be alive, honestly,” said Connor Gecewicz, a Garner, North Carolina, man who was recovering in the UNC Burn Center from burns covering more than a third of his body after his boat caught fire during a Memorial Day weekend fishing trip at Topsail Beach.

Gecewicz said he and his three friends were leaving the inlet toward the ocean when he noticed during a safety check that the bilge pump on his 23’ boat stopped working.  When he looked in the cubby where the bilge pump is stored, which happens also to be near the engine and gas can, a spark ignited what he called a “tornado” of flames.

Boatmates Credited for Preventing Explosion

“All I remember is the fire hitting me in my face, and I just immediately dived straight off the boat,” said Gecewicz. “I didn't think about it, I didn't say a word, I didn't make a sound. It was just my immediate instinct to just jump into the water."

Gecewicz credited his boatmates for their quick actions after he jumped off the boat. He said they immediately turned off the ignition and used the fire extinguisher on board to put out the fire, preventing the boat from exploding.

A passing boater picked the men up and brought them to a nearby marina, where Gecewicz said he was taken by ambulance to the Camp LeJeune Trauma Center before ultimately getting taken to the UNC Burn Center in Chapel Hill.
 

1 Injured, 6 Rescued After Boat Explosion

5/25/26 – Danbury, CT

Two people were taken to the hospital and six people were rescued after a boat fire on Connecticut’s Candlewood Lake on the afternoon of May 25th, officials said.

The Danbury Professional Firefighters Local 801 said that units were dispatched around 4 p.m. to reports of a boat explosion. According to the Danbury Fire Department, the incident happened at the boat launch on Hayestown Road.

Six people, including a mix of adults and children, evacuated the boat and were rescued from the water with assistance from the Candlewood Lake Authority. One person was taken to the hospital for a minor burn injury. As a precaution, a second person was taken to the hospital for an evaluation.

The Candlewood Lake Authority credited CLA Marine Patrol Lieutenant Behuniak and Officer Candido for rescuing the individuals from the water. 
 

Multiple Departments Respond to Lake Boat Fire

5/25/26 – Rogers, AR

Multiple fire departments responded to a boat fire on Arkansas’ Beaver Lake on the afternoon of May 25th.

No injuries were reported in the blaze. Hickory Creek Fire Department, Rocky Branch Fire and Rescue, Pafford Medical Services, Benton County Sheriff's Office, Beaver Lake Fire Department and Highway 94 East Fire Department all responded.

The fire took place near the lake’s Monte Ne Boat Ramp at around 4:35 p.m.
 

Two Rescued from Long Island Sound After PWC Sinks

5/27/26 – Norwalk, CT

Two men were rescued from the water near Chimon Island in Norwalk, Connecticut, after their personal watercraft overturned and sank on May 27th, police said.

Norwalk police said they received a report of two people and a sinking PWC at around 5:11 p.m. When they arrived, they found two men in the cold water and safely pulled them onto a police vessel.

The men were exhibiting signs of early-stage hypothermia, according to police. Officers brought them into the police vessel cabin to warm up while returning to shore. A separate police vessel recovered the sunken PWC, police said.

The two were later transported to Veteran's Memorial Park Marina, where Norwalk paramedics evaluated and treated them, according to police. Officials said neither man suffered serious injuries.
 

Deputies Locate Stranded Boater on Louisiana Lake

5/27/26 – Shreveport, LA

Deputies located a stranded boater on the evening of May 27th on Louisiana’s Wallace Lake after a multi-unit search.

The Sheriff’s Office in Caddo Parish, Louisiana, responded to Cameron Park after a parent reported his 25-year-old son, Treston Decareaux, had gone out on the lake around midnight and had not been seen or heard from for several hours.

Sgt. Brian Johnson and Sgt. Larry Pierce launched a search but did not find Decareaux’s truck and trailer at the boat launch. The Sheriff’s Office Drone Unit was deployed, but initial efforts did not locate Decareaux or his boat.

Officials said Decareaux later texted a family member at 2:35 p.m. saying he was having mechanical issues and was stranded somewhere on the lake. Deputies expanded the on-water search while drone operations continued.

Deputies found Decareaux and his disabled boat on the northern portion of the lake at 6:09 p.m. He was safe and unharmed. Lt. Davis towed the vessel to a nearby launch, where deputies helped Decareaux load the boat and return home.
 

1 Injured After 2 Boats Collide Near Bird Island

5/25/26 – Horry Co., SC

One person was injured in a South Carolina boat crash on Memorial Day, according to Horry County Fire Rescue (HCFR).

Crews responded to Bird Island in North Myrtle Beach just after 3:45 p.m., where two personal boats collided.

One individual was transported to the hospital after crews safely brought them to land, officials said.
 

 

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