Accidents of the Week - June 29, 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.

Teen Girls Killed in PWC Crash on Illinois Lake

6/18/24 – Antioch., IL

Two teenage girls killed in a collision between a Yamaha WaveRunner and a boat on Lake Marie near Antioch, Illinois, were identified on 20 June as Sarina Vootkur, 16, of Lake Forest, California, and Elle Kim, 13, of Long Grove.

The teens died as a result of blunt force injuries suffered in the crash on the evening of 18 June, according to the Lake County Coroner’s Office. A preliminary investigation showed Vootkur was operating the WaveRunner and Kim was the passenger, according to the coroner’s office.

Teens Knocked Unconscious in ‘High Speed’ Crash

Witnesses said the pair were heading north near the channel to Grass Lake, just north of the Elime Road peninsula, at a “high rate of speed” when the Yamaha collided with a Sea Ray Cabin Cruiser driven by a 55-year-old Antioch man, according to the coroner’s office.

Vootkur and Kim, who were wearing life vests, were knocked unconscious and thrown into the water from the force of the impact, authorities said. They were taken to Advocate Condell Medical Center in Libertyville, where they were pronounced dead. The boat operator was not injured.

The crash remained under investigation, authorities said.

Rescuers Assist Stranded Boater in Tampa Bay

6/17/24 – Hillsborough Co., FL

A stranded 71-year-old boater was rescued on the night of 17 June by Hillsborough County sheriff’s deputies near Williams Park in Tampa Bay, Florida.

A marine unit received a distress call for the boat around 11 p.m., the Hillsborough County Sheriff's Office said in a Facebook post. The boat was reportedly taking on water near Spoil Island. A deputy managed to make his way through shallow waters to rescue the boater, who showed signs of medical distress, according to the sheriff's office.

The man was safely taken to shore and evaluated by Hillsborough County Fire Rescue at Williams Park Boat Ramp, deputies said. "I'm incredibly grateful that no injuries occurred during last night's rescue mission," Sheriff Chad Chronister said in a statement.

"This incident highlights the crucial importance of our units' quick actions and dedication to protecting and serving our community," Sheriff Chronister added.

Three Men Dead in Fishing Boat Accident

6/16/24 – Halifax Co, VA

A tragic boating accident on Banister Lake in Halifax County, Virginia, left three men dead.

The Department of Wildlife Resources said the incident occurred on the evening of 16 June, at around 8:41 p.m. Their department received notification from the Halifax County Sheriff's Office about a capsized boat on Banister Laker and three people missing.

After investigating, officials determined that the three victims - Zacharich S. Carter, 20; Dre' D. Tucker, 30; and Elijah L. Tucker, 22 - were fishing on a 14-foot aluminum Jon boat when the operator turned the boat too sharply, making the back of the boat sink below the waterline.

Officials Searched for Missing Boater in Oklahoma Lake

6/14/24 – Cartwright, OK

A search was underway as authorities looked for a boater who went missing on Oklahoma’s Lake Texoma on the evening of 14 June.

Oklahoma Highway Patrol’s Lt. Bryant Harris said a boater had disappeared near Sunset Cove in Cartwright at around 7 p.m. “The Oklahoma Highway Patrol Lake Patrol Division has been searching with specialized sonar equipment for the past three days,” Harris said.

The agency was being assisted by the Bryan County Sheriff’s Office, Colbert, and Cartwright Fire Departments. Harris said the search was being conducted between Sunset Cove and Preston Point.

Meanwhile, a family identified the missing person as 32-year-old Zach Doyle of Cartwright. The family said Doyle and one other person were on a boat when they lost control.

“One other boater was recovered by a bystander,” Harris said, “That boater was taken to Texoma Medical Center.” Doyle had not been seen since.

Man Dies After Pontoon Boat Goes Over Reservoir Spillway

6/16/24 – Garfield Co., CO

A man died after the personal pontoon boat he was in went over the spillway of a reservoir in Colorado’s Garfield County, on the afternoon of 16 June.

According to Garfield County Coroner Robert M. Glassmire, his office was dispatched to the Bear Lake Reservoir, also known as the Upper Stillwater Reservoir, in the northeast corner of Garfield County near Yampa, Colorado, around 1:02 p.m. Glassmire said first responders were told that a man had gone over the spillway of the reservoir and was found deceased downriver.

Wind Pushed Boat Toward Spillway

Witnesses reported that the man was on a personal pontoon boat when strong gusts of wind pushed the vessel toward the spillway. The man was later identified as Jerry Whaley, 46, of Elbert, Colorado.

Glassmire said Whaley was not wearing a personal flotation device or a helmet. Investigators with the coroner's office arrived around 3:45 p.m. in order to recover Whaley's body.

He was located in whitewater rapids roughly 350 yards from the spillway, according to Glassmire. The embankments on both sides of the Bear River were difficult to ascend and descend, making the recovery mission difficult, according to the coroner.

The coroner's office, Routt County Search and Rescue, the Yampa Fire Protection District, and Colorado Parks and Wildlife initiated recovery efforts by installing a high line with ropes, pulleys and personnel on both sides of the river. Glassmire said the high line allowed first responders to safely recover Whaley's body. Once Whaley was brought to shore, personnel used a rope system to bring his body up the embankment. He was then transported to the Garfield County Coroner's Office.

First responders returned to the area on Monday in order to recover the pontoon boat and Whaley's personal effects. The coroner's office performed an autopsy Tuesday and determined Whaley died from "the combined effects of drowning and injuries sustained in the incident," according to Glassmire. His death was being investigated as an accident.

Two Rescued from Sinking Boat Off Florida’s Vilano Beach

6/19/24 – Vilano Beach, FL

Two boaters were saved from a sinking 55-foot boat that reached “rough” conditions on 19 June in Vilano Beach, Florida, according to St. Johns County Fire Rescue.

A St. Johns County Marine Recuse crew member noticed the boat in distress around 3:15 p.m. Water started taking over the boat after it ran aground on the north side of the Vilano Inlet. The boaters sent a mayday call and got off the boat with their life jackets.

The current pulled them out to sea, and SJCFR located them about 200 yards from the sinking boat. The boaters were evaluated and then taken to the hospital.

Crews Rescue Children on Paddleboard 2,000 Feet from Shore

6/19/24 – Oak Island, NC

Two young paddleboarders were rescued by Fire Department, Police Department, and Water Rescue crews in Oak Island, North Carolina, responding to a beach access at Barbee Boulevard on Wednesday 19 June, at 3:36 p.m.

“Within three minutes, crews from the Fire Department arrived at the area and were able to locate two youths on a single paddleboard, approximately 2,000 feet from the shore. The Drone Unit was deployed and able to communicate with the paddleboarders utilizing the camera and onboard speaker. They were not in distress, and remained calm, but were unable to return to shore due to strong winds and currents,” a town announcement stated.

OIWR (Oak Island Water Rescue) Unit 4491 was launched from the beach and retrieved the paddleboarders with on-water assistance from the U.S. Coast Guard and the Ocean Rescue Unit PWC on standby at Barbee Blvd.

The rescue lasted about 20 minutes, and the children were returned to a parent.