Accidents of the Week - March 2, 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.
Man Abandons Boat on Fire Off Kaua‘i Coast
2/20/24 – Kauai, HI
No injuries were reported after a man was forced to abandon his vessel when it caught fire 15 miles east-northeast of Nawiliwili Harbor, off the coast of Kaua‘i.
According to the U.S. Coast Guard Station Kaua‘i, the man was traveling to O‘ahu on his 35-foot fishing boat to sell the vessel. He was being followed by a friend when his boat caught fire.
Kaua‘i Fire Department and two vessels from the U.S. Coast Guard Station Kaua‘i responded to the scene at approximately 2:30 p.m. after receiving reports of black smoke coming from a vessel fire off the shore of Lydgate Beach Park. According to the Coast Guard, when they arrived on scene the boat was completely burned. It was unknown at the time of reporting what had caused the fire.
The U.S. Coast Guard was the lead responding agency, with support from the Kaua‘i Fire Department.
Coast Guard Rescues 2 from Sinking Boat off Texas
2/21/24 – Houston, TX
The Coast Guard assisted two boaters whose vessel began taking on water 35 miles southeast of Sabine, Texas, on 21 February.
Coast Guard Sector Houston-Galveston command center watchstanders simultaneously received a DSC distress alert and mayday call on VHF-FM channel 16 at 12:40 p.m. from the operators of the 31-foot sailing vessel Niamh, stating the boat was rapidly taking on water.
Taking on Water Beyond Bilge Pumps’ Capacity
The boaters reported that the vessel had suffered severe mechanical issues and was taking on water at a rate well beyond the bilge pumps’ capacity. Watchstanders issued an urgent marine information broadcast and directed the launch of a 45-foot Response Boat–Medium crew from Coast Guard Station Sabine and an MH-65 Dolphin helicopter crew from Coast Guard Air Station Houston.
Once on scene, the RB–M crew took aboard the boaters and used a pump to partially dewater the sailboat. The Coast Guard crew then transported the man and woman safely to Station Sabine. No injuries were reported.
One Dead After Fishing Boat Capsizes on Georgia Lake
2/18/24 – Valdosta, GA
Following reports of a potential drowning in Valdosta, Georgia, the local Police and Fire Department responded on Sunday 18 February at approximately 07:35 pm.
Valdosta Police and Valdosta Fire arrived on the scene to discover that one of two men on a fishing trip on Ulmer Pond was still missing, after their boat capsized. Additional resources had already been requested, including South Georgia Medical Center (SGMC) EMS, a Georgia State Patrol helicopter, drones, a boat from Lowndes County Sheriff’s Office, Lowndes County Fire Rescue, Georgia Department of Natural Resources, Turner County Sheriff’s Office, and Coffee County Fire.
Missing Boater’s Body Located by Divers
Rescue efforts continued until all resource capabilities were exhausted for the conditions, at 01:30 am on 19 February. Recovery operations resumed at sunrise, and two hours into that second operational period the victim was located by divers.
After the Valdosta Police Department took custody of the body and had it transported to Valdosta-Lowndes Regional Crime Laboratory, the Fire and Police Departments extended prayers and condolences to the family and all those involved.
Coast Guard Rescues 4 from Sinking Vessel off Florida Keys
2/19/24 – Miami, FL
The Coast Guard rescued four people off a sinking boat south of Dry Tortugas National Park early morning on 19 February. The individuals were rescued amid heavy seas and weather caused by a passing storm, after an Emergency Position Indicating Radio Beacon (EPIRB) was activated on board their vessel.
Watchstanders at the Coast Guard’s Seventh District Command Center and Sector Key West received the distress signal and diverted the crew of the Coast Guard Cutter Charles David, Jr. towards the boat’s position, approximately 35 nautical miles south of the Dry Tortugas. An MH-65 "Dolphin" helicopter crew out of Coast Guard Air Station Miami was also launched to the scene. The air and cutter crews reached the sinking boat shortly after midnight on 19 February.
A rescue swimmer was lowered from the helicopter to the sinking boat, where it was determined that one passenger aboard required emergency medical attention. However, heavy seas prevented the air crew from being able to hoist those aboard directly to the helicopter.
The crew of the Coast Guard’s Charles David Jr. launched a small boat to transfer all individuals off the sinking boat and bring them to the cutter, where the passenger requiring emergency treatment was then hoisted to the aircraft and flown to Lower Keys Medical Center in Key West for further treatment. The other three people were taken back to Key West aboard the cutter.
Coast Guard Urges Boaters to Monitor Weather, Check Safety Gear
“We were fortunate to be able to rescue four people and bring them to shore safely, today,” said Capt. Jason Ingram, Sector Commander at U.S. Coast Guard Sector Key West.
“These were extremely challenging conditions to conduct a rescue operation in. I urge all mariners to frequently check their safety gear and monitor weather forecasts from reliable sources like the National Weather Service. Four lives were saved today due to the quick actions from our Coast Guard crews and because the mariners had an EPIRB onboard that pinpointed the distress location.”
The vessel the four people were rescued from remained adrift at sea, and Sector Key West issued a Special Marine Information Broadcast, alerting boaters in the area to the adrift vessel.
Coast Guard Suspends Search for 4 Missing Boaters
2/17/24 – Venice, FL
The US Coast Guard suspended its search for four missing boaters out of Sarasota County, Florida, who had set out on a boating trip on the morning of 17 February and never returned.
Police found the missing boaters’ vehicle and trailer at the Marina Park Boat Ramp in Venice, Florida, where they had launched the white 1995 23-foot SportCraft with boater registration number FL9937HC.
On the night of 19 February, the Coast Guard wrote on X, formerly known as Twitter, that the search was ending unless new information became available. City officials in Venice asked boaters to remain vigilant and to report any information to the Venice Police Department.
The boaters were identified as Angel Hernandez Munoz, 38; Ruben Mora Sr., 54; Julio Cesar Cordero Briones, 37, and Alfonso Vargas Parra, 35.
Coast Guard Rescues Man Off Georgetown Coast
2/18/24 – Georgetown Co., SC
A boat crew from Station Georgetown, in South Carolina, teamed up with a helicopter crew from USCG Air Station Savannah to rescue a man early morning on 17 February, the United States Coast Guard said.
Officials said the man was aboard a 41-foot sailing vessel which had gotten stuck in a shallow part of the water near the entrance to Winyah Bay, just off the coast of Georgetown. While the boat crew could not reach the man in the sailboat on account of the water’s depth, the helicopter crew was able to land on the nearby beach and rescue the man.
The man was safely taken to the Georgetown County Airport.
Boat Fire Extinguished in Ventura, California
2/20/24 – Ventura, CA
First responders were on the scene after a boat caught fire in Southern California’s Ventura Harbor on 20 February. No one was on board the vessel at the time and no injuries were reported from the scene, the Ventura City Fire Department declared.
Firefighters were dispatched for a boat fire in Ventura Harbor around 11:44 a.m., and according to Ventura City Fire, they arrived on scene within six minutes. Fire crews reportedly deployed their hose down a long dock, moved nearby boats with assistance from Harbor Patrol, and used a coordinated effort of horizontal ventilation to control and extinguish the flames.
The flames were extinguished within 17 minutes of arrival and Ventura City Fire personnel were assisted by Oxnard Fire Department, Ventura County Fire Department, and Ventura Harbor Patrol, declared the Ventura City Fire Department.
Two Rescued After Boat Capsizes in Sarasota Bay
2/20/24 – Sarasota, FL
Two men were rescued after their fishing boat capsized on the night of 20 February in Sarasota Bay, Florida, with the Sarasota County Fire Department responding to a boat rescue along with Sarasota Police and Longboat Key Police.
The incident happened off Blvd. of the Arts in Sarasota, and according to Fire Rescue the call came in at around 7:22 p.m.
Both men were able to cling to the boat and one of them suffered a broken arm, according to Sarasota Police. He was transported to Sarasota Memorial Hospital, while the other was not injured.
The Coast Guard was notified of the incident.