Accidents of the Week - May 9, 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 Engulfed in Flames at Lake Michigan Marina
4/24/26 – Kenosha, WI
A boat erupted in flames at the Southport Marina in Kenosha, Wisconsin, on the night of 24 April, with the emergency call coming in around 9:45 p.m. reporting a vessel on fire along the city’s lakefront.
Fire crews responded to the marina area, where they found a boat fully engulfed in flames while docked among other vessels. Radio traffic from the scene indicated firefighters were operating on a dock and stretching hose lines as they worked to knock down the blaze.
Photos from the scene showed intense flames tearing through the boat’s upper structure, sending thick smoke into the night sky and illuminating the marina.
Firefighters Sought to Prevent Spread of Flames Through Dock
The fire broke out in close quarters, with multiple boats tied up nearby, creating the potential for the blaze to quickly spread if not brought under control. Firefighters worked from the dock in a challenging environment, navigating narrow walkways and limited access while battling heat and smoke.
Crews focused on knocking down the main body of fire while protecting surrounding boats from radiant heat and flying embers. By daylight, the vessel was reduced to a heavily charred hull, with the cabin and upper components largely destroyed.
Despite the severity of the fire, it appears crews were able to keep it contained to a single boat, avoiding a larger incident that could have damaged multiple vessels.
No injuries were reported, and the cause of the fire was not released at the time.
Kayaker Rescued from Frigid Connecticut River Waters
4/25/26 – Old Saybrook, CT
A swift and coordinated emergency response led to the rescue of a kayaker who went overboard in the chilly waters near the mouth of the Connecticut River late morning on 25 April.
At about 10:15 a.m., crews from the Fire Department in Old Saybrook, Connecticut, were dispatched to the area near Lynde Point Lighthouse following reports of a kayaker in distress. At the time of the incident, water temperatures were in the high 40s, conditions that can quickly become life-threatening.
Rescue teams responded swiftly with the department's fireboat Gordon B. Smith, along with a RIB rescue boat equipped with cold-water survival suits. Officials reported that the kayaker had managed to reach a sandbar but was standing in shoulder-deep water.
Within just 12 minutes of the initial dispatch, firefighters aboard the fireboat Gordon B. Smith reached the individual and safely brought them onboard. The rescued kayaker was transported to Saybrook Point, where a command post and staging area was established.
Emergency medical care was provided on scene before the individual was taken to a nearby hospital by Middlesex Health paramedics and local ambulance crews.
One Dead, Several Injured in Boating Accident
4/25/26 – Mount Pleasant, SC
One person was killed and several others were injured following a boat crash near Shem Creek in Charleston, South Carolina, officials said.
The South Carolina Department of Natural Resources (SCDNR) said its officers and investigators responded to the single-vessel accident on the night of 25 April.
Early information gathered during the investigation indicated that the boat left Shem Creek with seven people on board before it hit a dock in the Mount Pleasant area. One person died at the scene. The other occupants, including the operator, were taken to the hospital for treatment and were later released.
SCDNR investigators were working to determine what led up to the crash.
Searchers Find Body Believed to Be Missing Fisherman
4/22/26 – Port Arthur, TX
Searchers recovered a body believed to be that of a missing fisherman in Sabine Lake on the border between Texas and Louisiana, after he went overboard while checking crab pots in choppy water.
According to Justice of the Peace Joseph Guillory II, Texas Parks & Wildlife confirmed the recovery of the body believed to be that of 58-year-old Sang Tran on the morning of 25 April off Pleasure Island, on the Texas side of the lake.
The body was placed on a boat and brought closer to the marina to allow law enforcement officers to continue the investigation. The judge ordered an autopsy to positively identify the remains and determine a cause of death.
The recovery involved multiple agencies working together on the water. Since Tran vanished on 22 April, the Jefferson County Sheriff's Office, Texas Parks & Wildlife, the U.S. Coast Guard, and Port Arthur Police and Fire Departments had been involved looking for the missing fisherman.
Tran fell from his boat while checking crab pots in one-to-three-foot waves. His boat was later found beached on the rocks, still in gear, with damage to the motor's cowling.
Man Dies in Tennessee River Boating Accident
4/26/26 – Polk Co., TN
A man died following a boating accident on the Ocoee River on 26 April, according to the Tennessee Wildlife Resources Agency (TWRA).
The TWRA said Game Wardens and Tennessee State Park Rangers responded to a call of an unconscious man — later identified as 50-year-old Richard White from Cleveland — in the Ocoee River, just south of Ocoee Dam No. 2, around 1:30 p.m.
Victim Wore Helmet, PFD: TWRA
According to witnesses, White fell off a raft while recreational paddling in the river. Bystanders then pulled White from the water and performed CPR on him until emergency services arrived, according to the TWRA. White was transported to Bradley Medical Center, where he was pronounced dead.
The TWRA said White was wearing all the necessary protective gear, including a helmet and a personal flotation device, when he fell.
This is the sixth boating-related fatality in the state so far this year, according to the TWRA. The TWRA said agents are continuing to investigate the incident.
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