Accidents of the Week - May 31, 2025
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Six Stranded Kayakers Rescued from Swift Waters
5/25/25 – Cocke Co., TN
The Swift Water Rescue Team in Cocke County, Tennessee, was busy on 25 May after six people became stranded on the bank of the state’s Pigeon River.
According to the Cocke County Emergency Management Agency (EMA), three adults and three children who were visiting the area were taking a kayak trip down the Pigeon River when their watercraft hit a tree and put them in the water. While they were able to get to dry land, officials said it was on the opposite side of the roadway, resulting in the county’s Swift Water Rescue Team being called out to respond.
All six were rescued without injury or incident and reunited with their family. The EMA said one of the first responders, Lt. Danny Ray Reece, helped one of the children by giving him his gloves to help both of them safely make it across the river.
Boaters Pulled from Yacht Sinking in East River
5/20/25 – Bronx, NY
Firefighters pulled off a dramatic rescue in New York’s East River on 20 May, saving three people clinging to a sinking yacht—marking the city's third serious boating accident in just two weeks.
According to the New York City Fire Department (FDNY), the vessel struck an object near the Whitestone Bridge in the Bronx and began taking on water fast, prompting a frantic 'mayday' call over marine radio.
When Marine 4 arrived on scene, first responders found three boaters hanging onto the vessel—one of them with a head injury—as the current threatened to pull them under.
Tethered Firefighter Pulled Victims to Safety
Firefighter Tyler Hickey dove into the choppy river three times, each time tethered to firefighter Eric Kogan, to pull the victims to safety. FDNY firefighter Kelly Lyons, piloting the boat, kept it close enough for the rescue.
All three victims were treated for injuries, hypothermia, and shock.
Authorities Search for Missing Canoer
5/19/25 – Chicopee, MA
A search resumed on 20 May for a missing canoer along the Connecticut River in Hampden County, Massachusetts.
Crews from several local and state agencies were doing all they could to find Nicklas Delisle, a 27-year-old who was fishing in a canoe with his girlfriend by the Holyoke dam on the night of 19 May. “Nick loves hunting and fishing. He’s a good guy,” said Delisle’s uncle Nevin Bastin.
‘The Water’s Still Cold’: Fire Capt.
It is believed Delisle’s boat capsized, which caused both people to go into the water. The girlfriend was saved by a bystander who was fishing in the area, but was unable to save Delisle whom, the family said, was seen for about 400 feet before they lost sight of him.
Holyoke Fire Capt. David Rex told reporters they were not giving up. “I don’t want to give out false hope either. It’s a long night, it got cold last night, the water’s still cold. Hypothermia would have set in at some point. We never want to give out hope, but at the same time, we do have to prepare for the worst,” Rex explained.
Boaters Rescued After Yacht Catches Fire
5/26/25 – Fort Lauderdale, FL
The Coast Guard in Florida was kept busy over the Memorial Day weekend after sector Miami was called out to a rescue, where three boaters were saved from a sinking yacht that caught fire near Palm Beach.
"Sector Miami is warning mariners about debris in the water after a 48ft yacht sank when it caught fire off Jupiter Inlet," the Coast Guard alerted. Officials shared images of the yacht, showing a large fire coming from the vessel and debris spread out in the water.
The agency added that a good Samaritan rescued the three passengers on board the sinking ship. No injuries were reported and the cause of the fire was under investigation.
Boat Violently Crashes into Jetty, Injuring Four
5/25/25 – Hampton Bays, NY
A large sport fishing boat appeared to have crashed violently into a jetty in Meschutt Beach, in Hampton Bays, New York.
The accident occurred at approximately 9:16 p.m. on 25 May, when eyewitnesses said a vessel hit the jetty so hard that it spun 180 degrees before running aground. The operator apparently steered the craft from the Great Peconic Bay towards the Shinnecock Canal.
Four passengers reportedly suffered injuries and one of them, an adult female, was flown from the scene to hospital by the Suffolk County Police Department. Two other juveniles were transported by ambulance and the fourth, an adult male, was taken to a local hospital.
A video of the aftermath of the accident showed what appeared to be an adult male being questioned and possibly detained, as country music played loudly in the background and the windshield wipers swish back and forth.
Hampton Bays FD, Southampton Town PD, the US Coast Guard, and NYS Police were all on scene.
4 People, 2 Dogs Rescued from Kayaks in Potomac River
5/19/25 – Darnestown, MD
Four people and two dogs were safe after being pulled from the Potomac River on the night of 19 May. The kayakers told first responders they were not able to get back to land safely because of strong water currents.
Montgomery County Fire and Rescue Services crews were first called to the area of Pond Island in the Potomac River for a report of kayakers in distress around 10:15 p.m. Crews found four people and two dogs in newly purchased kayaks.
Rescue boats were deployed to get the stranded people and animals to safety. No injuries were reported, and no one was taken to the hospital, according to fire department spokesperson David Pazos.
Crews Battle Boat Fire on Lake Havasu
5/24/25 – San Bernardino Co., AZ
A boat erupted in flames on Lake Havasu on Saturday morning of Memorial Day weekend, threatening to spread through the busy marina.
Luckily, as they prepared for an uptick in emergency calls over the holiday weekend, San Bernardino County crews were able to get a quick handle on it. As the wind pushed the blaze toward other vessels docked at Riviera Marina, the crew aboard County Fire Boat 18’s first response was to get the fire away from any other possible fuels.
‘Fuel Issue’ Causes ‘Total Loss’
“Boat 18’s crew first towed the fully-engulfed vessel to a safer area, then deployed deck-based hose lines to bring the fire under control in minutes,” said the department’s X post.
Aerial footage attached to the X post showed how the team isolated the fire, keeping it away from neighboring boats, while crews worked to extinguish the flames from their own boat.
“The operator of the affected boat safely evacuated to the dock without injury; however, the vessel was a total loss,” said the department. “Initial reports suggested a fuel issue caused the fire.”
PWC Driver Flees After Killing 18-Year-Old Kayaker
5/25/25 – Grapevine, TX
An 18-year-old who was kayaking on Grapevine Lake in Texas over Memorial Day weekend was killed after being struck by a personal watercraft (PWC), whose driver fled the scene, police said.
The incident occurred on the evening of 25 May when the PWC, with a driver and a passenger onboard, hit the victim, Ava Moore, according to the Grapevine Police Department.
The passenger on the jet ski remained at the scene to be interviewed by first responders, police said, while the driver fled with an adult male. While leaving the area, the driver and the man then struck another vehicle, according to Grapevine Police.
Police were investigating the related automotive hit-and-run incident, while Texas Game Wardens led the investigation into Moore's death on the lake.
Three People Uninjured After Boat Catches Fire
5/25/25 – Wareham, MA
Three people had to swim to shore in Wareham, Massachusetts, after their boat caught fire.
According to the Wareham Department of Natural Resources’ (WDNR) Facebook page, it happened at around 1:05 p.m. on 25 May, by the ‘Tempest Knob’ boat ramp on the Wareham River.
Members of the Wareham Fire Department, Wareham Police Department, and WDNR were dispatched, where they saw that the boat was in shallow waters, hindering fire crews’ ability to extinguish the flames.
Authorities were notified that three people who were on the boat were able to swim back to the shore. Wareham Fire crews were able to relocate to Parkwood Beach and deploy fire hoses around beach houses onto the shore to knock down the fire. WDNR and Wareham Fire were able to secure a towline to the boat and remove it from the shoreline.
“We are happy to report that the three persons on board were not injured,” WNDR wrote on their Facebook page. “And we would like to thank Wareham Fire for coming up with a very creative way of knocking down the fire and for assisting us, along with Wareham Police, to remove the vessel.”
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