Accidents of the Week - June 28, 2025
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.
8 Dead After Boat Capsizes on Lake Tahoe
6/21/25 – El Dorado Co., CA
A boat capsized on 21 June on the southwest side of Lake Tahoe after strong winds created powerful waves, according to the United States Coast Guard in Northern California. An eighth person was confirmed to have died on 23 June, two days after the incident, officials said.
Two other people were rescued and taken to a hospital after their 27-foot-long boat overturned near D.L. Bliss State Park, sending 10 people into the water around 3 p.m. local time on Saturday, the U.S. Coast Guard said on Sunday.
35-Mile-per-Hour Winds Created Waves up to 8 Feet
A large wave appeared to have caused the boat to overturn, the Coast Guard said. There were winds of up to 35 miles per hour and waves of six to eight feet at the time.
The Coast Guard said on the morning of 22 June that six people had died and two people were missing. The following day, the El Dorado County Sheriff’s Office said on social media that the death toll had risen to seven after one of the missing passengers was found dead the previous night. The sheriff’s office said that afternoon it had found the body of the last missing person.
The boat overturned on the southwestern side of Lake Tahoe, which is the largest alpine lake in North America and is a major tourism destination that straddles California’s border with Nevada.
There were several reports of boats in distress on the lake after powerful winds suddenly created high waves, a local news site reported.
A seasonal lifeguard and a ranger spotted people in the water from the capsized boat and were able to get two of them onto nearby rocks and start performing CPR as help arrived, the site reported.
Coast Guard Rescues 2 Boaters off Virginia Beach
6/19/25 -- Virginia Beach, VA.
The U.S. Coast Guard rescued two boaters on the morning of 19 June after their vessel began taking on water off the coast of Virginia Beach, Virginia.
According to officials, 30-year-old Jeffrey Hudson and his father, 60-year-old Robert Hudson, sent out a distress call after their 57-foot sport fishing boat, Turn Me Loose, started sinking and they were forced to abandon ship into a life raft.
Coast Guard officials said the distress call came in around 9:07 a.m. to Sector Virginia’s Command Center. The Hudsons reported their vessel was rapidly taking on water, and they were deploying their life raft.
EPIRB Helped Rescuers Locate Sinking Boat
Watchstanders immediately issued an urgent marine information broadcast and launched multiple rescue assets, including a 45-foot Response Boat-Medium from Coast Guard Station Little Creek, an MH-60 Jayhawk helicopter crew from Air Station Elizabeth City, and the USCGC Pompano. The USCGC Calhoun and Virginia Beach Fire Boat 12 also joined the response after hearing the alert.
The Hudsons activated their Emergency Position Indicating Radio Beacon (EPIRB), which helped rescuers quickly find their exact location, which was about 34 miles southeast of Virginia Beach.
By 10:03 a.m., crews from the Calhoun and the Coast Guard helicopter arrived and found the men safe in their life raft. The Calhoun crew brought them aboard and conducted medical evaluations; no one was injured.
“This successful rescue highlights the importance of preparedness and the effectiveness of coordinated efforts between multiple agencies and assets,” said Chief Warrant Officer 3 Daniel Butierries, command duty officer with Sector Virginia. “The quick response and the mariners’ preparedness significantly contributed to the rescue.”
The Turn Me Loose remained partially submerged about 30 miles off the coast. The Coast Guard issued a broadcast notice advising mariners to steer clear of the area.
Boat Catches Fire at Wisconsin Marina; No Injuries Reported
6/18/25 – Manitowoc, WI
A boat burst into flames on the evening of 18 June at the Manitowoc Marina in Manitowoc, Wisconsin, prompting a quick response from local firefighters.
According to the Manitowoc Fire Department, crews were dispatched around 6:30 p.m. after receiving a report of a boat on fire at the marina.
Witnesses reported that the vessel was fully engulfed in flames and that some type of explosion may have occurred. When firefighters arrived, they determined that the boat was located at the marina’s launch area and was not moored near other boats, which helped prevent the fire from spreading. Crews knocked down the fire in approximately 10 minutes and fully extinguished it within 20 minutes of arriving on scene.
The boat, identified as a 24-foot fiberglass inboard watercraft, produced a large amount of black smoke due to the burning fiberglass. After the fire was extinguished, the owner removed the boat to prevent any fuel or oil discharge into Lake Michigan.
No injuries were reported, as the operator was able to exit the boat before the fire spread. No additional details were released.
Two Rescued After Boat Capsizes While Fishing
6/16/25 – Ulster Co., NY
Two fishermen from Kingston, New York, were rescued on the morning of 16 June after their rowboat capsized in the Ashokan Reservoir. Personnel from the New York City Department of Environmental Protection Police (DEP) and reservoir staff responded to the incident.
Both individuals had the necessary licenses and permits to fish in the area and were wearing life preservers at the time of the accident. After the boat overturned, they managed to stay afloat by holding onto flotation cushions until help arrived.
Upon being brought to shore, the men were assessed by the Olive Fire Department and emergency medical personnel. They declined any further medical assistance. According to DEP officials, no violations were found, and no citations were issued.
Boaters Pulled from Water by Washington Ferry Crew
6/13/25 – Seattle, WA
Two people were saved by crew members of the Walla Walla ferry who had lifesaving training, according to Washington State Ferries.
On the night of 13 June, the U.S. Coast Guard received reports of people who were in the water near Blake Island after their canoe swamped.
They asked the crew of the Walla Walla, which usually does the Seattle/Bremerton route, to help. The ferry crew quickly changed course, launched a rescue boat and pulled the two people from the water.
With help from two passengers who had medical training, ferry crew members treated the boaters for signs of hypothermia. Emergency medical staff met the crew members and victims in Bremerton, checked the boaters out, and released them.
Body of Missing Boater Found on Texas Lake
6/17/25 – Denton Co., TX
The body of one of two missing boaters last seen on Texas’ Lewisville Lake on 17 June was recovered two days later, Texas Game Wardens said.
Game wardens said they were called out to the lake on the evening of 17 June to help search for a man and a woman whose boat had been found beached. The search continued through the following day, without the boaters being located.
On the morning of 19 June, game wardens said a dive team using more advanced sonar technology had returned to the lake and resumed the search. Officials said the body of a man was recovered, and that the search for the woman continued.
Game wardens said they were not releasing the names of the man or woman to respect the privacy of their families. Officials did confirm the boaters were not related, but were family friends.
Fire Captain Drowns in Tennessee Boating Accident
6/18/25 – Celina, TN
A boating accident in Tennessee claimed the life of a 35-year-old man early morning on 18 June. The accident happened at the Dale Hollow Reservoir, and authorities identified the victim as Fire Captain Christopher Berry.
According to the Tennessee Wildlife Resources Agency (TWRA), Berry was camping with friends and had taken their Allison bass boat out for a night fishing trip near Sewell Bend, close to First Island. Berry reportedly stumbled and fell overboard around 12:50 a.m. CDT.
Despite efforts to rescue him, Berry could not be saved. TWRA officers located Berry's body in 72 feet of water, and recovered his body around 8:30 a.m. Berry's body was transported to the Nashville Medical Examiner’s Office for further examination.
This incident marked the 12th boating-related fatality in Tennessee this year.
2 Boats in Marina Erupt in Flames, Damage 2 Others
6/17/25 – Miami, FL
Two boats docked at the Grove Isle Marina in Miami’s Coconut Grove burst into flames and damaged two other boats early morning on 17 June, before Miami Fire-Rescue crews got the blaze under control.
Around 7:30 a.m., multiple emergency calls reported flames coming from boats docked at 3 Grove Isle Drive. When firefighters arrived, they found two cruising vessels completely engulfed in flames, threatening to ignite nearby boats.
The blaze was immediately upgraded to a Code 1 working fire, bringing in extra help, including the Miami Fireboat and the city’s Hazardous Materials Team. There were no injuries, Miami Fire Rescue said.
Fire crews moved quickly, setting up hose lines and using foam to contain and extinguish the blaze. Within just 10 minutes, the fire was under control, and further damage was prevented, although two boats docked nearby suffered exterior heat damage, but their interiors were not affected.
The fire primarily involved two boats between 30 and 40 feet long, and investigators from the Miami Fire Investigation Unit were working to determine what had caused the fire. The Coast Guard was assisting.
