Accidents of the Week - May 4, 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.
Coast Guard Rescues 2 After Boat Runs Aground
4/23/24 – McClellanville, SC
Two men were rescued by the U.S. Coast Guard (USCG) after their boat ran aground in McClellanville, South Carolina, on the night of 23 April.
Coast Guard Urges Boaters to Check Tides, Wear PFDs
Coast Guard crews from Georgetown and Air Station Savannah responded to a 44-foot vessel that ran aground in Clubhouse Creek, USCG Southeast reported.
“Before heading out on the water, be sure to check the tides for the area you plan to transit through,” said Petty Officer 2nd Class Clayton Carr, a U.S. Coast Guard Sector Charleston watchstander. “If you plan to be on the water at night, pay close attention to the aids to navigation and always wear your life jacket.”
The two men were not injured and were taken to the McClellanville boat ramp.
Canoeist Reportedly Injured by Boat on Arkansas Lake
4/24/24 – Garland Co., AR
A man in a canoe was reportedly struck by a boat and injured on the morning of 24 April near Fish Hatchery Road on Lake Hamilton, Arkansas, and pulled from the water by citizens in the area, Garland County Sheriff's Chief Deputy of Enforcement told local reporters.
"A call into dispatch was received today at 9:04 a.m. regarding a boat vs. canoe accident near Fish Hatchery road on Lake Hamilton, which resulted in an injury to one individual," the chief deputy told reporters. "Citizens in the area allegedly pulled the injured person from the water to a safe location and began chest compressions. Lake Hamilton Fire Department arrived and continued providing medical aid," he added.
"A LifeNet ground unit responded, as well as a LifeNet Air helicopter which arrived on scene at approximately 9:20 a.m. The injured person was transported by LifeNet ground units to a local hospital," the official stated.
Arkansas Game and Fish Commission officers also responded and subsequently took over the scene and the investigation, due to the accident occurring on the water.
Man Dies in Boating Incident at California Lake
4/21/24 – Bakersfield, CA
A 62-year-old man from Washington was killed in a boating incident at the boat dock on California’s Lake Ming, the Kern County coroner said.
Kyle Lee Cannon, 62, of Brush Prairie, Washington was pronounced dead at Kern Medical on 21 April, according to the Kern County Sheriff’s Office. At 1:45 p.m., Cannon was ejected from a boat near the Lake Ming boat dock. He was taken to a hospital where he later died, officials said.
A postmortem examination was set to be conducted to determine the manner of death, said officials. The incident was under investigation.
Coast Guard Rescues Stranded Boaters in Louisiana
4/19/24 – Hopedale, LA
Two overdue boaters stranded near Hopedale, Louisiana, were rescued in the early hours of the morning on Saturday 20 April by the Coast Guard.
According to U.S. Coast Guard Heartland, at about 10:30 p.m. on Friday 19 April, Coast Guard Sector New Orleans watchstanders were notified by St. Bernard dispatch of two overdue boaters last reported aboard a 23-foot white center-console recreational vessel in the Hopedale area.
To assist in the search for the boaters, Sector New Orleans watchstanders coordinated the launch of a Coast Guard Air Station New Orleans MH-60 Jayhawk helicopter crew and a Coast Guard Station New Orleans 29-foot Response Boat-small crew. The helicopter crew located the two boaters and their disabled vessel early morning on Saturday, authorities said.
The individuals were hoisted aboard the helicopter and transported to Hopedale Marina in St. Bernard, where they were reported to be in stable condition.
Coast Guard Rescues Two Kayakers in Tampa Bay
4/20/24 – Sarasota, FL
A flipped kayak near Tampa Bay’s Sunshine Skyway Bridge, in Florida, sent two people into the water on the night of 20 April, but thanks to the quick actions of the U.S. Coast Guard, everybody was reported safe and sound.
“All kayakers are reminded to have a life jacket, sound-making device, and a light if paddling at night,” said Lt. Casey Skomer, a Coast Guard operations unit controller at Sector St. Petersburg.
Veteran Journalist Drowns After Boating Accident
4/19/24 – Missoula, MT
A man drowned during a fishing trip on the Bitterroot River north of Darby, Montana, the Ravalli County Sheriff's Office announced on 19 April.
John Brewer, a 76-year-old Washington man with a coast-to-coast journalism career spanning 50 years, including nearly two decades at The Associated Press, was identified as the victim.
Brewer and his longtime friend Randy Johnson were on their annual fly-fishing trip in Montana when the boat they were in hit a submerged log and flipped over, Johnson said. Two others were rescued, but Brewer drowned, he said
Three men were in the raft when the incident occurred, two safely exited the water but Brewer was caught in the current. The other fishermen were able to pull the victim out of the water, attempting CPR.
The Darby Volunteer Fire Department, Ravalli County Search and Rescue and Ravalli County Sheriff's Officer responded to the scene. Despite efforts, the victim was pronounced dead on the scene.
Good Samaritan, Coast Guard Rescue Stranded Paddle Boarder
4/19/24 – Coos Co., OR
A paddle boarder who was stranded off the coast at Sunset Beach, Oregon, on 19 April was reported safe thanks to the help of a good Samaritan.
According to the Sheriff’s Office in Coos County, Oregon, officers were called at about 7:30 p.m. to assist the U.S. Coast Guard in locating the paddle boarder, who was stranded on a sand bar.
A Coos County Deputy reported the location and saw the woman was stuck out past the rocks. He then reported her location to the U.S. Coast Guard, who along with a nearby kayaker were able to rescue the woman and get her to safety.
State Police Rescue Man After Canoe Capsizes
4/19/24 – Holland, VT
A man was rescued from cold waters by two Vermont State Police troopers, after his canoe capsized in the northeastern part of the state, authorities said.
Vermont State Police said that a witness called police at around 11:20 a.m. on 19 April, and reported seeing a capsized canoe and a person in the water waving for help from their home on North Shore Road in Holland, Vermont.
Canoeist Not Wearing PFD
The man, a 37-year-old from Barre City, Vermont, was not wearing a life vest and was clinging to the overturned boat, state police said. Two troopers and a crew from Newport Ambulance were the first to arrive to the scene within roughly 15 minutes of the call, state police said.
One trooper put on a life vest and went into the water and swam towards the overturned boat, while another located a pedal-powered paddleboat at a home and launched the boat with help from an EMS crew and pedaled out, state police said.
Boater Dies After Being Pulled from Water
4/22/24 – Aurora, CO
A boater has died after he was pulled from the water at Colorado’s Aurora Reservoir. The small boat the adult male was in capsized at about 9:25 a.m. on 22 April.
Aurora Reservoir Park Rangers quickly responded and were able to pull the man from the water and provide first aid until firefighters arrived and began providing advanced life support, before rushing the patient to the hospital. Unfortunately, the boater did not survive.
The identity of the adult male was not released at the time.
House Boat Burns on California Lake
4/24/24 – Napa Co., CA
A houseboat went up in flames on Lake Berryessa in California’s Napa County on 24 April, authorities said.
The Napa County Sheriff's Office said in a Facebook post on 25 April that its Marine Unit had responded to reports of a houseboat on fire, which was docked at the Markley Cove houseboat slips at the east end of the lake.
The houseboat was cut loose to prevent the fire from spreading, the Sheriff's Office said. Cal Fire and Capell Fire helped put out the flames and there were no reported injuries. The cause of the fire was not immediately known.