Accidents of the Week - November 1, 2025
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Family Rescued from Desolate Island After Boat Fire
10/23/25 - Naushon Island, MA
A Massachusetts family was recovering after surviving a harrowing ordeal on a desolate island when their boat caught fire, leaving them stranded for more than 30 hours.
Patrick and Cynthia Sullivan, along with their son Tyler, of Cape Cod, were asleep aboard their anchored vessel, “The Third Wave,” when it erupted in flames on the night of 20 October.
Forced to abandon ship in the middle of the night, the family swam to Naushon Island with no food or way to communicate.
Naushon Island is the largest of the Elizabeth Islands in southeastern Massachusetts, located about four statute miles from Martha’s Vineyard.
Mayday Call with Radio ‘Miraculously’ Washed Ashore
Miraculously, a boat radio washed ashore and still worked. Tyler used it to send a mayday call on the morning of 22 October, prompting a Coast Guard helicopter rescue.
The family was airlifted to Cape Cod Hospital, where Cynthia remained in critical but stable condition. Patrick was being treated at Brigham and Women’s Burn Center, and Tyler was also hospitalized.
Hyannis Deputy Fire Chief Jeff Lamothe said the cold water posed a serious risk of hypothermia, especially given the family’s sudden escape.
“The water temperatures are a lot lower, so, obviously, there’s risk of hypothermia with any kind of exposure to water, especially if you’re not dressed for it,” Lamothe explained. “I’m pretty sure they weren’t since they had to abandon the ship quickly in the middle of the night.”
Tragically, the family’s dog—who helped alert them to the fire—died in the blaze.
Lamothe called the rescue “remarkable.”
“They did a fantastic job. The rescue swimmer had his hands full with three patients; one patient was critical,” Lamothe said. “What the coast guard did was pretty remarkable.”
Boat Catches Fire on Intracoastal Waterway
10/11/25 – Fort Lauderdale, FL
A boat caught fire on the afternoon of 11 October on the Intracoastal Waterway off Fort Lauderdale’s Commercial Boulevard, after one of its engines exploded shortly after departure.
Owner Ivan Sayles and a friend had just left the Kaluz restaurant when the boat burst into flames. Both jumped off in time and were not injured. “I’m grateful to be alive,” Sayles said. “It’s crazy — the boat just exploded.”
Fort Lauderdale Fire Rescue crews quickly responded, extinguishing the flames before the damaged vessel was towed away. The cause of the explosion was under investigation.
Firefighters Rescue Two Boaters After Storm Incident
10/11/25 – St. Johns Co., FL
Two people were rescued early morning on 11 October after their boat started sinking near St. Augustine, Florida.
Fire crews said the boat hit a sandbar during a storm and began taking on water around 7 a.m. Neither person had a life jacket, so firefighters gave them flotation gear before helping them safely aboard a rescue vessel.
Crews from Marine 12 and Engine 9 responded, with help from the St. Augustine Fire Department. The boat was later anchored to shore to prevent further damage.
Boater Suffers Head Injury in Causeway Crash
10/12/25 – Brevard Co., FL
Shortly before sunset on 12 October, a boater collided with the south side of the Melbourne Causeway bridge pylon in Brevard County, Florida.
Brevard County Fire Rescue (BCFR), Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission (FWC), Melbourne Fire Department, Melbourne Police Department, and Indialantic Fire Department responded to the incident.
The Indialantic Fire Department utilized a jet ski to transfer the patient to the flooded boat ramps at Front Street Park, where BCFR transported him by ambulance to Holmes Regional Medical Center. The individual sustained a serious head injury and may have experienced a medical emergency prior to the collision.
The vessel was subsequently removed from the bridge and relocated to Front Street Park.
Coast Guard Rescues Boater After Vessel Capsizes
10/2/25 – St. Petersburg, FL
A U.S. Coast Guard Station St. Petersburg boat crew responded swiftly to a maritime emergency on 2 October after a vessel capsized near the Sunshine Skyway Bridge in Tampa Bay, Florida, rescuing a boater who was found clinging to the overturned craft.
Officials said the man was pulled from the water without injury and transported safely to the Gandy boat ramp. The individual was coordinating recovery of the capsized vessel, which authorities said posed no ongoing hazard to navigation.
Coast Guard Stresses Importance of PFDs, Safety Gear
According to the Coast Guard, the quick response prevented what could have become a more dangerous situation in the busy shipping channel near Tampa Bay.
“This case is a strong reminder of how important it is to wear a life jacket and ensure your vessel is equipped with proper safety gear,” said a Coast Guard spokesperson from Sector St. Petersburg. “Our crews train daily to respond to incidents like this and protect the boating public.”
Coast Guard Rescues Man During Nor'easter
10/13/25 – Falmouth, MA
As a nor’easter brought widespread rain and strong winds in Massachusetts over the weekend of 11 to 12 October, a man was rescued by the U.S. Coast Guard from the water off the coast of Falmouth.
According to a news release from Falmouth Fire/Rescue, the man was spotted in the water at around 3:30 p.m. local time on 13 October by a local ferry crew, who tried to rescue him by throwing life rings into the water.
"Given poor visibility and rough seas due to ongoing storm conditions, responders immediately contacted the US Coast Guard and Harbor Master's Office for additional resources," officials said. Officials added that the Coast Guard located the man at around 4:25 p.m. local time. In a video shared by officials, the man was seen being hoisted up into a Coast Guard helicopter.
"Following the rescue, the helicopter transported the victim to Joint Base Cape Cod, where Emergency Medical Services were standing by. The victim was transferred to Falmouth Hospital for evaluation and observation," officials said.
Officials, who did not identify the man, said they were unsure how he had ended up in the water.
Officials Rescue 4 People from Sinking Boat
10/13/25 – Tampa, FL
A Florida Fish and Wildlife Commission (FWC) dive team saved boaters after their motor failed and the boat was sinking off Crystal River.
The commission's North Central Regional Dive Team was heading toward a previously located capsized boat when they saw another vessel experiencing mechanical trouble on 13 October. A nearby boater called the officers over the radio to ask for help.
Occupants Included Older Woman with Limited Mobility
Officers found the boat was taking on water and the operator was trying to reach a nearby island before it sank. Four people were on board, including an older woman with limited mobility.
Officers pulled up next to the boat and safely lifted the woman out and helped two other passengers onto the patrol boat. They instructed the driver to put on a life jacket, according to a news release.
"Almost immediately after the transfer was completed, the vessel capsized and overturned," the release read. Officers were able to make sure all four were brought to safety.
Boat Sinks at Mooring in Maine’s Rockland Harbor
10/15/25 – Rockland, ME
A sports fishing boat sank at its mooring on 15 October in Rockland Harbor, Maine. Harbor Master Molly Eddy said the owner, however, was very responsive and had already arranged for the vessel to be raised.
The approximately 47-foot Rhonda's Revenge was spotted sunk on the morning of 15 October. The sports fishing boat owned by A.J. Burns of Maine was located about 100 yards south of the Rockland Fish Pier, with its flybridge still visible above the water.
The Maine Department of Environmental Protection, the Coast Guard and the National Response Center of the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency had been notified, the harbor master said. Charlie's Marine was contacted by the owner and arrived at the scene at about 11:30 a.m. Oct. 15. Eddy said this was the way that boat owners should respond when a boat sinks.
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