Accidents of the Week - March 14, 2026

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.

Boater Found Hurt After Running Aground, Hitting Tree

2/27/26 – Pierce Co., WA

A person was found with minor injuries on the morning of 27 February on a fishing boat that sheriff’s deputies say ran aground and struck a tree south of the Tacoma Narrows Bridge in Pierce Country, Washington.

Gig Harbor Fire & Rescue crews responded shortly before 7 a.m. near the Tacoma Narrows Park. Tom Wescott, a spokesperson for the fire department, said a Peninsula Metropolitan Park District employee spotted a light on the shore and then found a boater. There were obvious signs that the vessel had struck a tree, according to Wescott.

911 Caller Reported Boater Intoxicated

Police scanner traffic indicated that the 911 caller said it was a 20-foot blue-and-white fishing boat. Wescott would not confirm whether the boater was a man or a woman or the person’s age, citing health privacy laws. He said the person was an adult.

The Pierce County Sheriff’s Office responded, Wescott said, and the U.S. Coast Guard was contacted. Deputy Steven Cloninger said the boater was transported to a hospital with minor injuries.

The 911 caller reported that the boater was intoxicated, according to police scanner traffic, but Cloninger said he did not have any information about signs of impairment.
 

Missing Boater Found Dead After Multi Agency Search

3/2/26 – Mobile, AL

The Alabama Law Enforcement Agency released new information about a boater who was found dead.

“On Tuesday, March 3, at approximately 11 a.m., Troopers assigned to the Alabama Law Enforcement Agency’s (ALEA) Marine Patrol Division responded to a call for service concerning a missing boater in the area of Dauphin Island in Portersville Bay, within Mobile County,” an ALEA news release said.

Travis N. White, 54, of Peachtree City, Georgia, hadn’t returned home from a fishing trip and was reported missing. Officials found the 22-foot MayCraft boat he was operating on Tuesday, March 3, just north of Alabama’s Dauphin Island Bridge, according to ALEA.
 

Kayakers Rescued from Ice in Michigan

3/4/26 – Grand Haven, MI

First responders in Grand Haven, Michigan, rescued two kayakers who were knocked from their boats on the afternoon of 4 March.

According to Grand Haven Department of Public Safety, the two were kayaking when a large ice shelf knocked them off their kayaks, sending them into the water at around 5:10 p.m. “One kayak went missing, while the other was too damaged to be used, leaving the individuals stranded,” the department wrote in a release.

Both kayakers were wearing wetsuits. They climbed onto a nearby ice shelf and waited for help.

Grand Haven Public Safety units pulled the kayakers from the ice and water, the department said. The two were taken to the hospital for their injuries, according to authorities. It wasn’t clear how serious those injuries were.
 

Eight Rescued as Boat Sinks Off Oregon Inlet

2/3/26 – Oregon Inlet, NC

What began as a routine offshore fishing trip on the morning of 3 February quickly escalated into a life-saving rescue.

Captain Buddy Calloway of the Capt. BC had just departed North Carolina’s Oregon Inlet with mate Weston Smith when a distress call came over the radio from the fishing vessel No Limit. "He [the captain of No Limit, Jon Azato] put a call on the radio that he was taking on water and asked anyone nearby to keep an eye on him while he tried to figure it out," Calloway said.

Calloway located the vessel on radar at approximately 3.5 miles away. "He came back out of the engine room and said he had a lot of water in the boat. At that point, I realized it was an emergency." Calloway immediately altered course and proceeded at speed toward the distressed vessel.

Sinking Boat Lost Electronic Systems, All Communication

All eight passengers had donned life jackets and were standing in the cockpit, though the vessel had lost its electronic systems and all communication capabilities. Calloway estimated approximately 50 seconds elapsed between their arrival and the complete submersion of the No Limit. Most passengers were forced to enter the water to reach the rescue vessel.

Calloway and Smith pulled seven individuals from the water. The eighth was rescued by a second charter boat, the Sportsman, captained by Bert Sowell. "We wrapped everyone up in blankets and made sure everyone was safe."

The Coast Guard intercepted and escorted the Capt. BC back to port. All eight were evaluated for cold water exposure. No injuries were reported. The No Limit sank and has not been recovered.

Boat Slammed into Florida’s Haulover Bridge by Yacht

2/28/26 – Miami, FL

A center console near Miami's Haulover Inlet lost engine power and began drifting toward the bridge in the narrow channel. A large yacht passed through, its wake pushed the disabled boat sideways, and the center console made contact with the bridge before the operator could regain control.

Video of the incident is a good reminder of how quickly things move at Haulover. It's a busy, current-driven inlet with tight quarters, and a dead engine leaves little margin. If a boat near you looks like it's having trouble, give it some room.
 

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