Accidents of the Week – May 27, 2023
May 27, 2023
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 Thrown From Sailboat in Michigan Lake Boat Crash
5/14/23 – Prairieville, MI
A man was seriously hurt after a boat accident on Pine Lake, Michigan. According to the Prairieville Fire and Rescue Department, crews went to the lake around 11:30 on the morning of 14 May.
Two boats collided on the lake, said the Prairieville Fire Chief, and the collision knocked one man off his boat. The man, who had been steering a Sunfish sailing dinghy, was seriously hurt and sent to the hospital.
His wife, Cristina Robinson, says she watched the crash happen from the shore." Talk about a feeling of helplessness with no motorized boat to get to him," she said. "We don't have our boats in the water yet."
Man survives with broken bones, contusions
Robinson declared that when she saw her husband get hit and thrown from the Sunfish boat he was piloting on Pine Lake, she did not have high hopes. "We all honestly thought it was going to be a body recovery," she remembers. She says what happened next was a miracle. "Most people don't have their motor boats in the water, but by the grace of God, a family came by at exact moment I saw him get hit. They took us to him and met Fire and Rescue at the boat launch."
Her husband went to the hospital, she said, with broken bones, some large contusions and severe pain, but was ready to head home. Robinson added that she was looking for the family who had helped her husband to safety. Meanwhile, Prairieville Township officials said they were investigating the crash.
Five Hurt in PWC Crash on North Carolina Lake
5/14/23 – Gaston Co., NC
Five people were hurt when two Sea-Doo personal watercraft (PWC) crashed on Mountain Island Lake, according to the North Carolina Wildlife Resources Commission (NC Wildlife). Officials said the crash happened on 14 May at the Riverbend Boat Landing on Eddie Nichols Drive, shortly before 6:30 p.m.
Officials report four accidents, one casualty in four weeks
The people on the Sea-Doos did not know each other, said investigators, who did not believe that drugs or alcohol were involved. All five patients were taken to the hospital with injuries that varied from minor to severe.
Investigators explained that there were two adults on one PWC and three juveniles on the other. The Lucia-Riverbend Fire Department told local news reporters that they had already responded to four accidents on the lake over the last four weeks, including one drowning.
Firefighters Respond to Boat Fire on Washington’s Duwamish River
5/13/23 – King Co., WA
Firefighters responded to a boat fire on the Duwamish River on 13 May, according to Puget Sound Fire.
That afternoon, the King County Fire Department, Seattle Fire Department, South King Fire & Rescue, and the Boeing Fire Department assisted Puget Sound Fire with the incident.
Everybody on the boat was able to escape safely by getting onboard their dinghy. No injuries were reported, and the Department of Ecology worked to mitigate the fuel spill resulting from the fire.
Four People Rescued in Lake Erie Boat Fire
5/14/23 – Catawba Island, OH
A good Samaritan helped four people aboard a boat that caught fire on the morning of 14 May on Lake Erie, according to United States Coast Guard officials. Thick, black smoke could be seen coming from the lake.
Officials said they received a report of a 25-foot vessel on fire near Catawba Island. All four passengers who were on the boat were uninjured and transported to Gem Beach by the Coast Guard.
Boater’s Body Recovered; Operator Charged with Boating Under the Influence
5/14/23 – Butts Co., GA
Loved ones gathered on the water’s edge as dive teams searched Jackson Lake for Joseph H. Upchurch of Jackson, Georgia, who was feared drowned following a boat accident on Jackson Lake on the night of 14 May. The following afternoon, members of the Butts County Dive Team recovered Upchurch’s body in about 50 feet of water.
Boat operator arrested for boating under the influence
Game wardens were alerted around 10 p.m. to the accident on the southern section of the lake. "They responded to the area to find a boat that was still circling in the lake," said Georgia Department of Natural Resources spokesperson Lt. Judd Smith.
Officials said 38-year-old Brandon Mitchell McGaha, who was operating the boat, had made it to shore, while Upchurch, 56, had not. McGaha was charged with boating under the influence.
Coast Guard Rescues Mariner from Disabled Sailboat Off North Carolina Coast
5/15/23 – Beaufort Inlet, NC
On 15 May, the Coast Guard rescued a mariner from a disabled sailboat reportedly taking on water, approximately 74 miles off the coast of Beaufort Inlet, North Carolina.
A transiting container ship reported the vessel to Sector North Carolina watchstanders, who initiated the launch of a Station Fort Macon 47-foot Motor Life Boat (MLB) crew, an HC-130 Hercules airplane crew and an MH-60 Jayhawk helicopter crew from Air Station Elizabeth City. Once on scene, the helicopter crew was unable to deliver a dewatering pump or deploy a rescue swimmer due to the sea state.
The initial responding boat crew took the vessel in tow upon arrival and was relieved of the tow by another station MLB crew closer to shore. The two crews towed the vessel for a combined 10 hours in 4 to 6-foot seas and more than 20 mph winds, before passing the tow to commercial salvage inside Beaufort Inlet.
Man Drowns in Portland Marina After Fall from Sailboat
5/12/23 – Portland, OR
The body of a 70-year-old man from Parkdale, Oregon, was recovered after he drowned in the Hood River Marina on 12 May, according to officials. The Hood River Sheriff’s Office said that the body of Dennis Howe was found the following day.
Victim fell off sailboat while docking
Authorities reported that they had responded to the drowning just after 6:45 p.m. and discovered that Howe had not resurfaced after falling into the water from a sailboat, operated by 71-year-old Rex McCourt. The boat was in the process of docking at the time of the incident, according to officials.
Multiple individuals went into the water to try and find Howe, but were unsuccessful, prompting authorities to turn the operation into a death investigation and recovery, the Hood River Sheriff’s Office said. Howe’s remains were found at 10 a.m. on 13 May, according to authorities.
Coast Guard Rescues Multiple Boaters After Vessel Collision West of Sarasota
5/17/23 – St Petersburg, FL
The Coast Guard rescued one male and transferred seven individuals to safety after their vessels collided near Sarasota, Florida, on 17 May. A Coast Guard Air Station Clearwater MH-60 Jayhawk helicopter crew arrived on scene and transported one male passenger experiencing a head injury to Tampa General Hospital for higher medical care.
EPIRB allowed Coast Guard to locate boaters in distress
At approximately 5:40 a.m., Coast Guard Sector St. Petersburg command center watchstanders were notified that a 34-foot commercial fishing vessel with two people aboard and a 23-foot vessel with six people aboard had reportedly collided, both suffering damage. Coast Guard Station Cortez rescue crews arrived after the report to assist.
“Through the activation of an emergency positioning indicating radio beacon (EPIRB), Coast Guard units were able to locate and assist the other seven people from the vessels in distress,” said Kevin Coyne, Coast Guard Sector St. Petersburg. “This rescue is a testament to the teamwork it takes to save lives.”
The owners were coordinating with commercial salvage for the vessels and the cause of the incident was under investigation.
Boat Catches Fire at Virginia Marina
5/18/23 – Hampton, VA
A boat called “Double Trouble” from New York caught fire on the morning of 18 May at the Fort Monroe Marina in Hampton, Virginia.
Hampton Fire & Rescue shared photos of the vessel from Staten Island, which was unoccupied at the time. Crews responded just after 9 a.m.
No injuries were reported and no other vessels were exposed to the flames, said firefighters, who did not share any information on the possible cause of the fire.
Fishermen Rescued After Boat Capsizes Off Key Biscayne
5/10/23 – Key Biscayne, FL
Three fishermen were counting their lucky stars after being rescued from rough waters off the coast of Key Biscayne.
The men were saved on 10 May after their boat capsized southeast of the popular tourist spot near the Fowey Rocks Lighthouse. According to witnesses, the trio ended up in the water and clung to the hull of the capsized vessel.
Fortunately, Miami-Dade police responded quickly to the scene and brought the stranded fishermen back to the safety of the Crandon Park Marina. The US Coast Guard Air Station Miami also assisted in the rescue efforts by dropping a smoke flare and guiding boats to help with the rescue operation.
All three fishermen were safely pulled from the water without incident and were reported to be in good health.