Accidents of the Week - May 2, 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.

Boat Explosion Leaves 2 Injured, 1 Dog Dead

4/19/26 – Las Vegas, NV

Two people were seriously injured and a dog was killed following a boat explosion and fire on the afternoon of 19 April at a fuel dock on Nevada’s Lake Mead, according to the Clark County Fire Department.

Crews responded around 3:27 p.m. to the fuel dock at 100 Calville Bay Road after reports of a fire and a possible explosion in the area. When firefighters arrived, they found a boat engulfed in flames after an explosion occurred as the vessel was leaving the fuel pump area.

Boaters Hospitalized with Significant Burns

Bystanders on scene were able to quickly intervene, using fire extinguishers to contain most of the flames before crews took over. The fire was fully extinguished by 4:02 p.m., officials said.

Two people on board the boat suffered significant burn injuries. One was airlifted from the scene, while the other was transported by ambulance to a nearby hospital. A dog on the boat was found dead following the incident.

The cause of the explosion and fire remained under investigation.
 

Body of Missing Fisherman Found Tangled in Rope

4/18/26 – Davidson Co., NC

A fisherman who went missing after his boat capsized in North Carolina was found dead, according to authorities.

The North Carolina Wildlife Resources Commission reported that on the morning of 19 April, officers received a call about a capsized boat at the mouth of Cabin Creek at North Carolina’s Tuckertown Reservoir.

Thanks to information from the caller, authorities were able to learn that the overturned vessel was registered to Justin Michael Goodman.  An officer then contacted Goodman's wife, who said her husband went fishing the night before but had yet to come home. She last heard from him around 10 p.m. local time on 18 April.

As they began searching for the vessel, "first responders learned that a nearby fisherman had located a body in the water," the North Carolina Wildlife Commission said in their statement.

Goodman's body was found 50 feet away from his boat, tangled in a rope connected to the vessel, according to authorities. The incident remained under investigation by the North Carolina Wildlife Resources Commission.
 

Four Rescued from Detroit River After Boat Capsizes  

4/21/26 – Detroit, MI

Good Samaritans rescued four people from the Detroit River, according to U.S. Coast Guard officials.

A boat capsized near Detroit’s Gordie Howe International Bridge on the morning of 21 April, officials with the USCG said. One good Samaritan boater rescued one of the victims, while a second good Samaritan on board another boat rescued the remaining three people in the water.

The USCG sent a response vehicle to assist with getting the victims to a boat ramp in Delray, Mich., so they could all be transported to hospital via EMS. 
 

Hypothermic Kayaker Pulled from Marsh by Rescuers 

4/20/26 – Peoria Co., IL

A man was plucked out of Banner Marsh in Peoria, Illinois, on 20 April, hypothermic but alive, the sheriff’s office reported.

According to a Facebook post by the Peoria County Sheriff’s Office, the rescue occurred around 7 p.m., after a person in the area heard a man calling for help at one of the lakes within the Banner Marsh State Fish and Wildlife Area.

Deputies from both Peoria County and the Fulton County Sheriff’s Office arrived and began searching the area. They found a man in the water who had fallen out of his kayak, according to the post. He was hypothermic and unsure how long he had been in the water, the post said.

Firefighters from Timber Hollis and Copperas Creek fire protection districts were on scene as well. A crew from Copperas Creek put a boat in the water to help deputies reach the man due to a steep embankment in that area. He was taken out of the water and brought to an area hospital by ambulance.

3 People, Pet Rescued from Boat Taking on Water

4/19/26 – Charleston, SC

A vessel that ran aground near the Charleston jetties was stabilized and moved to safety after a coordinated response by local and federal crews, authorities said.

The Charleston Fire Department’s Marine Division responded after the boat became stranded outside the northern jetty with three people and a pet on board. By the time crews arrived, the U.S. Coast Guard had already removed all occupants safely. No injuries were reported.

Fire department personnel found the vessel taking on water in its forward berthing area, posing a risk of sinking and creating a potential hazard to navigation.

Two Rescued from Milwaukee River After Kayak Overturns

4/19/26 – Glendale, WI

First responders rescued two people from the Milwaukee River in Glendale, Wisconsin, on the afternoon of 19 April, according to North Shore Fire and Rescue.

The agency said in a press release that it responded around 3:04 p.m. to reports of two people whose kayak overturned in the Milwaukee River. Once on scene, first responders saw the two standing on an island in the middle of the river, according to the release.

The release noted that due to heavy rainfall over the past week, the river's water level was elevated and the current was faster than usual, which created hazardous conditions on the water.

The two were ultimately rescued from the water by first responders with North Shore Fire and Rescue and the Milwaukee Fire Department.
 

To access BoatTEST’s archived “Accidents of the Week” become of a VIP Member of BoatTEST and learn how you can avoid accidents of all types. Click here...