Accidents of the Week – May 6, 2023
6 May, 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.
Two Injured Following Lake Havasu Boat Crash
4/21/23 – Mohave Co., AZ
The Mohave County Sheriff’s Office Division of Boating Safety and Dive Rescue Team responded to the North Basin of the Lake Havasu area on 21 April following reports of a boat crash, with several people seen in the water. According to the Mohave County Sheriff’s Office, a different boat had pulled everyone involved on board, and deputies immediately began treating the victims.
Authorities say PFDs saved boaters’ lives.
An investigation found that a 2014 Outerlimits 43-foot vessel was traveling through the North Basin of Lake Havasu when it lost control, and all three people on board were ejected into the water. Authorities say two occupants were found face down in the water but were wearing personal flotation devices when they were pulled from the water by surrounding boats.
They were transported to Havasu Regional Medical Center in serious but stable condition. Authorities believe speed was a factor in the crash but say the incident shows how life jackets save lives.
FWC Investigates Fatal Chattahoochee River Boating Accident
4/22/23 - Jackson Co., MS
A Jackson County man has died in a boating accident on the Chattahoochee River on the evening of Saturday, 22 April.
According to a news release from the Florida Fish and Wildlife Commission (FWC), sometime Saturday evening, the FWC received a report of a single vessel boating accident on the Chattahoochee River near Parramore Landing.
Officials stated that for reasons not yet known, a vessel with a 53-year-old man and a 10-year-old boy aboard began taking water. A nearby good Samaritan pulled the boy to safety.
FWC and Jackson County Sheriff’s Office responded to the report, and when they arrived, pronounced Hardy Hill III deceased on scene. The boy was transferred to the hospital to be checked for injuries.
Man Dies After Cardiac Arrest in Massachusetts Canoe Race
4/22/23 – Hampden Co., MA
Matthew Peck, 72, has been identified as the Massachusetts man who died after he went into cardiac arrest while canoeing on the Westfield River during the river’s annual Wildwater Races on Saturday, 22 April, the Russell-Montgomery Police Department stated.
A 911 call came in around 12:45 p.m. from a paddler on the river, who said they saw a man fall from a canoe he was paddling in with another man, Russell-Montgomery Police Lt. Sean Shattuck told local news. Shattuck told the outlet another call came in seconds later that the man, Peck, was in cardiac arrest.
Two off-duty EMT-firefighters paddling in a canoe just behind stopped to help, Westfield River Wildwater Races director Ed Hamels told the outlet, along with 10 other paddlers. It took first responders 15 minutes to navigate the densely wooded area, Shattuck said.
The officials from Russell-Montgomery, Huntington and State Police, along with the Russell Fire Department and Hilltown Ambulance worked to get Peck to the shoreline, and the lieutenant said it took 17 people to get him out of the water and into the ambulance because of slippery conditions on the shore. Peck was taken to Baystate Noble Hospital at 1:52 p.m., but Shattuck stated he was pronounced dead on arrival.
Man Seriously Injured in Boat Crash at Lake of the Ozarks
4/23/23 – Camden Co., MO
A man on a bass boat was seriously injured after two boats collided on the afternoon of 23 April at the Lake of the Ozarks, according to a Missouri State Highway Patrol crash report.
The collision occurred after a 2022 Lowe bass boat driven by Roger Crowder, 58, of Jefferson City, ran over a 1994 Ranger bass boat driven by Megan Viles, 43, of Stover, at the 63-mile mark of the main channel.
Viles’ husband, David, 48, was seriously injured and was flown to University Hospital, the report stated. The Ranger had extensive damage, according to the crash report. The Lowe had no damage.
Body of Missing Boater Recovered After Canoe Overturns in Houston’s Sims Bayou
4/24/23 – Houston, TX
The body of a missing boater was recovered on 25 April after a boat overturned in Southeast Houston’s Sims Bayou on the morning of 24 April, according to the Houston Police Department (HPD).
Boater with PFD rescued, another without PFD drowns
Crews responded around 11 a.m. to an area of the bayou located at 4150 Galveston Road. Police learned that two men were in a canoe when one of them stood up and caused the canoe to overturn.
Officials said one of the men had on a life jacket and was rescued. He was taken to a hospital with unknown injuries. The second passenger did not have a life preserver, according to officials. His body was later recovered by an HPD dive team.
Police said the victim had been taken to the Harris County Institute of Forensic Sciences for an autopsy and identification. The Houston Police Department was leading the investigation into this case.
Boaters Stranded After Kayak Capsizing Pulled from Illinois River by Barge Crew
4/22/23 – Starved Rock, IL
An afternoon kayaking excursion turned into a harrowing ordeal for three visitors from Chicago as their kayak capsized in the Illinois River near the Starved Rock Yacht Club on 22 April.
According to Conservation Police, it happened around 4 p.m. when a sudden wave or gust of wind caused the kayak to overturn, throwing the occupants into the frigid waters. Another person who rushed to their aid also ended up in the river.
Fortunately, the crew of the river barge “Daniel P. Mecklenborg” came to their rescue and transported them for medical treatment. The names of the victims were not released.
Authorities confirmed alcohol was not suspected to have played a role in the incident. No word on how long the victims were in the water.
Boats Destroyed in Fire at Connecticut Marina
4/26/23 – Norwalk, CT
Two boats were destroyed at a marina in Norwalk, Connecticut, due to a fire.
The fire took place in Norwalk around 6:15 p.m. on Wednesday, 26 April, at Rex Marina, which is located at 144 Water St., said Steve Shay, deputy chief of the Norwalk Fire Department.
Officials believe fire originated in electric boat.
Shay said that when firefighters arrived on the scene, the two boats were fully engulfed in flames and they began battling the blaze from the dock, while a fire boat responded from the water.
"The fire was difficult at first to extinguish because one of the boats was a fully electric boat," Shay said. Both boats were removed from the water to prevent any sinking, he added. The fire originated from the electric boat, causing both boats to be a total loss, Shay said. One other boat sustained minor damage. The cause of the fire was still under investigation. There were no reported injuries.