Accidents of the Week - May 10, 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.

Dozens Rescued from Sinking Yacht Near Miami Beach

5/3/25 – Miami, FL

Thirty-two people were rescued from a sinking yacht off Miami Beach on 3 May, officials said.

Pictures shared by the Coast Guard online showed more than a dozen people, some wearing life jackets, on board the 63-foot vessel. Other photos showed the yacht submerged, with the ship’s nose jutting out of the water.

Several other agencies, including from Miami Beach, Miami, Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission (FWC), and some Good Samaritan boat operators also helped with the rescue, according to the Coast Guard.

Boat Identified as $4-Million Lamborghini Tecnomar

Yachts Worldwide, a yacht-dedicated social media account, identified the boat as a $4 million Lamborghini Tecnomar in a video it posted of rescue crews responding to the sinking boat.

The Coast Guard said no one was injured and that the ship was in the process of being recovered. The FWC was leading the investigation.

Firefighters Extinguish Florida Marina Blaze

5/3/25 – St Augustine, FL

A boat fire broke out on the morning of 3 May at Trout Creek Memorial Park and Marina, on Florida’s St Johns River, leading to a quick response from St. Johns County Fire Rescue (SJCFR), according to a social media update from the department.

Units arrived at around 10 a.m. to find a vessel fully engulfed in flames. Firefighters quickly began their efforts to extinguish the fire before it could spread.

Two people were on board at the time but escaped without injury. They were evaluated at the scene as a precaution.

Fire crews were on-site to ensure the area was safe and to conduct overhaul operations. The cause of the fire was under investigation.

Man Thrown Overboard; Officer Leaps onto Runaway Boat

4/28/25 – Sarasota, FL

A man was thrown from a boat on 28 April in Sarasota, Florida, causing the boat to go unmanned until an officer jumped onto the runaway vessel and stopped it.

According to the Sarasota Police Department, calls alerted them to the crewless boat traveling nearly 40 miles per hour, north of the Ringling Museum. Police said the boater told them he was thrown from the boat after a larger boat cut him off and he went through its wake, on his way back from a Boat Show at Marina Jack.

Boater Not Using PFD, Cut-Off Switch

First responders said it took multiple attempts to slow the boat down, first trying to turn off its motor with towlines before using a plasma towline to slow it down. This reduction in speed allowed an officer to safely maneuver alongside the vessel, providing another officer the ability to board the boat and bring it to a stop.

The boater, who was not wearing a life jacket or using the boat’s emergency cut-off switch, suffered minor injuries. Emergency cut-off switches attach directly to a boater so, if they fall overboard, the switch disconnects and immediately kills the engine.

Sheriff’s Marine Patrol Assists Boaters in Distress

4/26/25 – Orleans Co., NY

Sheriff Christopher Bourke of Orleans County, New York, reported that the county’s 911 Center had received a report of a vessel in distress off the shore of Point Breeze, on Lake Ontario.

The caller stated that a boat was observed shooting flares and appeared to be in distress. Deputies and members of the Orleans County Sheriff’s Marine Patrol were immediately dispatched to the area to assist.

Responding deputies located the vessel just west of Point Breeze. Sheriff’s personnel were able to make contact with the two male occupants and secure them safely. No injuries were reported.

The vessel was towed back to the Point Breeze boat launch by the Sheriff’s Marine Patrol Unit.

Elderly Woman Dies in Texas City House Boat Fire

4/29/25 – Texas City, TX

An elderly woman died and her husband was severely injured on 29 April when their boat caught fire in Texas City, Texas.

The fire started just after 7 a.m. Dive teams spent hours searching for the woman. When Texas City Fire Department crews showed up, they found the house boat's living quarters completely engulfed in flames.

Officials said the two people on board were a couple in their 80s. The man survived and was taken to a local hospital for treatment. The woman's body wasn't found until hours later.

Texas City FD wasn't alone as it fought the flames and searched for the fire victim. "Multiple agencies helped us out. Mutual aid is always appreciated. We had two tankers, about six engines shuttling water to keep the water supply for the fire itself," Texas City Fire Department Assistant Chief Matthew Wyatt said.

"We did get a fire boat to respond, as well, and they used water from the bayou to extinguish the fire," Wyatt added. The cause of the fire was under investigation.

Kayaker Drowns in Iowa River

4/25/25 – Iowa Falls, IA

Authorities released the name of a man whose body was recovered from the Iowa River in Iowa Falls on the night of 25 April.

Sheriff Dave McDaniel of Hardin County, Iowa, identified the victim as Levi Mentz, 34, of Iowa Falls, who had been kayaking in the river. McDaniel said that the body had been transferred to the State Medical Examiner's Office for an autopsy.

In a previous release, the Hardin County Sheriff's Office revealed that a 911 call to the Hardin County Communications Center reported that a male subject was in the Iowa River. It was also reported that the male had become separated from a kayak that he had been in.

Public Safety was immediately dispatched to the area and an extensive search was conducted. At approximately 10:53 p.m. on 25 April, the body of a white male was recovered.

Man Remains Missing After Kayak Capsizes

5/2/25 – Auburn, CA

The search for a missing kayaker who fell into the water along the American River near Auburn, California, was placed on hold on 4 May because of poor conditions, the Placer County Sheriff’s Office said.

The missing man was on a kayak with another man when their vessel capsized in fast-running water on the evening of 2 May, the Sheriff’s Office said. The other man was able to reach nearby rocks and make it back to shore, the Sheriff’s Office said.

‘You Never Want to Give Up Hope’: Sheriff’s Office

The missing person wasn’t identified, and officials said it wasn’t known whether he might still be alive. “It’s tough to say,” said Elise Soviar, a spokesperson for the Sheriff’s Office. “You never want to give up hope until you know.”

Authorities started to search for the missing kayaker on 2 May. A dive team also went out on the water the following morning as aerial and water search efforts continued throughout the day, Soviar said.

The Sheriff’s spokesperson explained that the search was suspended on 4 May because of water flow and visibility, with conditions set to determine whether the search would resume the following day.

Small Boat Catches Fire While Docked at Cabbage Key

5/3/25 – Lee Co., FL

A small boat caught fire on 3 May while it was docked at Florida’s Cabbage Key, on Pine Island.

The boat drifted off from the dock once it caught fire, and the owner was able to jump off the boat to safety. The Lee County Marine Emergency Response Team was able to extinguish the flames.

There were no reported injuries.

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