Accidents of the Week - June 7, 2025
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One Person Injured in Boat Explosion
5/27/25 – Shady Side, MD
A person was injured on the morning of 27 May in a boat explosion in Shady Side, Maryland, fire officials said.
Anne Arundel County fire officials told local news reporters that crews were called around 9:30 a.m. for a possible boat explosion. Firefighters did not find a fire, but did find a victim who was on the boat at the time of the explosion.
Paramedics evaluated the victim for possible burns; no update was provided on the person's condition. Anne Arundel County fire officials were investigating a cause.
Surge of Boating Incidents in Lake Havasu over Memorial Day Weekend
5/23/25 – 5/25/25 – Mohave Co., AZ
The Memorial Day holiday weekend brought a significant increase in boating traffic and waterway-related incidents in Mohave County, Arizona, according to the Sheriff's Office Division of Boating Safety.
Throughout the weekend, deputies contacted 261 boaters and issued 30 citations. They investigated nine boat crashes without injury, five with injuries, assisted 29 boaters, performed six water rescues, and responded to nine medical emergencies.
Boat Operator Given Citation for Under-13s Without PFDs
Lastly, on Sunday 25 May, deputies responded to a report of a sinking boat in the North Basin of Lake Havasu near Crazy Horse Campground.
The boat struck a large wave, causing it to take on water and sink. All eight occupants were rescued by other boats, and no injuries were reported. The operator received a citation for having two children under 13 on board without life jackets.
Five People Hospitalized After Speeding Boat Flips
5/24/25 – Mohave Co., AZ
Five people were hospitalized after their boat flipped over near a sandbar on the Colorado River over Memorial Day weekend, officials confirmed on 26 May.
The Sheriff’s Department in San Bernardino County, California, said its marine enforcement unit was dispatched to the boat accident at 5:07 p.m. on 24 May. Crews arrived at the area of the river near Blankenship Bend to find several people suffering injuries and the overturned boat floating in shallow water.
Boat Flipped While Traveling at ‘High Rate of Speed’
“According to witnesses, the boat was traveling at a high rate of speed during a turning movement and the port sponson caught a chine, causing the boat to flip over,” detailed the department’s release.
The driver of the boat and a female passenger each sustained major injuries, and the other three passengers were transported to Havasu Regional Medical Center for minor injuries.
Officials said the boat operator was taken to Sunrise Hospital and Medical Center and the female passenger was taken to University Medical Center, both in Nevada. The names, ages and genders of the passengers were not immediately provided.
The sheriff’s department said the incident was under investigation, but that “it appears speed was a factor in the accident.”
Coast Guard Rescues 8 Mariners from Sailboat
5/24/25 – San Francisco, CA
Coast Guard members rescued eight passengers of a sailing vessel in the San Francisco Bay on the afternoon of 24 May.
At 1:38 p.m., Coast Guard Sector San Francisco Command Center received a call that the 30-foot sailing vessel, Viking, was taking on water near Gashouse Cove. Another vessel in the area attempted to tow Viking, but it flipped on its side. The nine persons aboard righted the vessel and climbed back aboard.
A Coast Guard Station Golden Gate boat crew arrived on scene and removed eight passengers from the vessel; however, the captain was unwilling to disembark. The Golden Gate boat crew departed temporarily to bring the eight passengers ashore, during which the sailing vessel flipped on its side once more.
A TowBoat US vessel arrived on scene and was able to tow the Viking into Aquatic Park with the captain still on the hull, before righting and mooring it at the pier.
Man Hospitalized After Boat Catches Fire
5/28/25 – Fort Lauderdale, FL
An investigation was underway after a man was hospitalized and crews battled a boat that was found engulfed in flames in Fort Lauderdale, Florida, on the morning of 28 May.
Fort Lauderdale Fire Rescue (FLFR) confirmed to local news reporters that the boat fire had been called in near Port Everglades just before 10 a.m. At the scene, two FLFR boats were seen dousing the charred vessel that was washed ashore on a nearby beach. Firefighters were also seen on the beach near the burnt boat.
Anthony Pecnick told local reporters that he saw the fire shooting in the sky with thick black smoke billowing from the boat when it happened. "The smoke carried at least 35, 40 feet up [and] the flames were as equal," he said.
FLFR said one man was on board and jumped from the boat when it caught fire. He was taken to the hospital in unknown condition. It's unclear whether this had impacted activity at Port Everglades.
Boat Runs Aground on Island in Texas Lake
5/31/25 – Lake Belton, TX
Four people were rescued late night on 31 May after a boat ran aground near an island across from the Morgan’s Point Resort Marina, in Texas’ Belton Lake, according to Morgan’s Point Resort Fire-Rescue (MPRFR) officials.
MPRFR responded to a possible boating accident around 10:31 p.m. on 31 May, according to authorities. Authorities said multiple calls came in about a boat possibly running aground on the island across the lake from the marina. Callers told police they could not see the boat from the shoreline but could hear people calling for help.
Morgan’s Point Resort Fire-Rescue, according to authorities, deployed Marine 61 with three crew members. They arrived on scene and located the boat fully grounded on the island with four occupants aboard.
Boat Operator Cites Malfunctioning Bow Light
According to authorities, the boat’s owner said they were familiar with the layout of the lake but were unable to see the island because the bow light had malfunctioned before the incident, forcing them to navigate using flashlights.
One victim told rescuers their head struck the boat on impact and showed signs consistent with a head injury, authorities said. All four individuals were examined and transported to the Morgan’s Point Resort Marina, where Temple AMR provided further treatment as needed, according to authorities.
Coeur d'Alene Fishermen Rescue Man on Burning Boat
5/31/25 – Coeur d’Alene, ID
Jon Pearson was walking his dog on the morning of 31 May when he heard someone shouting for help.
He looked out on Idaho’s Lake Coeur d'Alene through the trees and saw a man waving his arms on a boat on fire, smoke rising up, a few hundred yards from shore. Pearson watched as several men on a fishing boat sped in quickly from the west and pulled up. The man hopped on board and his rescuers zipped away.
Less than a minute later, the boat was engulfed in flames and black smoke billowed into the air. "It was really quick," Pearson said. Coeur d'Alene firefighters and others soon arrived to douse the flames and the charred hull drifted to the shoreline.
Nearby Anglers Came to the Rescue
Greyson Hoffman, alone on the boat, told local reporters that while crossing the lake he looked back and saw a little smoke. When he looked again, there was more smoke. He stopped the craft and grabbed a fire extinguisher, but the flames quickly spread.
Hoffman retreated to the front of the boat and yelled and waved at a fishing boat not far away. The anglers responded. "They were there quickly," he said.
The men tossed a rope to Hoffman, who grabbed it and pulled the boat close enough so he could jump on board. He said he was shaken, but not hurt. After dropping Hoffman off, the fishermen headed back out for more fishing, a firefighter said.
Agencies Respond to Boat Fire on Oregon’s Yaquina Bay
5/30/25 – Newport, OR
Fire crews from several agencies responded at about 3 p.m. on 30 May to a small boat fire next to the NOAA dock on the south side of Yaquina Bay, in Oregon.
Black smoke was billowing up from the boat and being blown by a strong north wind, attracting the attention of many passersby. A Coast Guard motor lifeboat from Station Yaquina Bay, marine deputies from the Lincoln County Sheriff’s Office, and other emergency responders were on the scene.
The flames were extinguished fairly quickly, but fire crews remained on site.
Coast Guard Rescues Two as Boat Sinks
5/31/25 – Scotland, MD
The U.S. Coast Guard sprang into action on the morning of 31 May, rescuing two individuals from a sinking 37-foot pleasure craft just 4 nautical miles east of Maryland’s Point Lookout, according to a report from Sector Maryland–National Capital Region.
The vessel, which had been taking on water, reportedly suffered a bilge pump failure causing the stern to submerge rapidly. A distress call was transmitted over VHF Channel 16, triggering an urgent response from Coast Guard Station St. Inigoes.
Rescuers arrived just in time to extract both individuals, seconds before the boat capsized and sank. Both occupants were returned safely to shore without injury, and no emergency medical treatment was required.
Officials praised the quick coordination and credited the outcome to preparedness and functioning communications gear.
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