Accidents of the Week - October 17, 2026
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2 Boats Catch Fire in California’s Huntington Harbour
9/30/26 – Orange Co., CA
Local fire and marine safety personnel called to Orange County’s Huntington Harbour on September 30 by a report of a fire arrived on scene to find two boats tied to one another both engulfed in flames.
Huntington Beach Fire Department (HBFD) Capt. Steve Teasdale said the incident occurred shortly after 1 p.m., when an individual called to report a blaze at a nearby residential dock.
“Firefighters arrived to find both boats involved in fire and quickly worked to bring the fire under control,” Teasdale said, adding that the response was aided by a water-carrying vessel from the Orange County Sheriff’s Department’s Harbor Patrol Division, which regularly monitors the harbor.
Fire Crews Make ‘Short Work’ of Blazes
Crews made short work of extinguishing the blazes, using the boat-mounted water cannon as well as multiple hose lines from different vantage points on the ground. Neither boat was occupied at the time of the incident, and no injuries were reported, according to Teasdale.
The origin point and cause of the fire were under investigation. After the flames had been doused, HBFD’s Hazardous Materials team placed absorbent booms in the water as a precaution to capture any potentially spilled fuel, fluids or other possibly harmful runoff from the damaged vessels.
3 Juveniles Rescued at Night After 17-Foot Boat Flips
9/28/26 – Broward Co., FL
Three juveniles were rescued from the ocean after their boat capsized about two miles offshore from Florida’s Port Everglades Inlet on the night of September 28, according to the Broward Sheriff’s Office (BSO).
Broward County Regional Communications received the report at about 8:45 p.m. involving a 17-foot boat, authorities said. Broward Sheriff’s Office Marine Patrol Deputy Alexander Beer and Harbor Patrol Deputy Rajendra Sukhdeo, assigned to the Port Everglades District, were the first responders to reach the area, BSO said.
Juveniles’ Cellphone Light Helped Deputies Find Them
They found the overturned boat and the three juveniles in the water. Investigators said the juveniles used a light on a cellphone to help deputies find them in the darkness.
Video released by BSO showed the nighttime rescue as deputies brought the juveniles aboard a sheriff’s office vessel one at a time. The juveniles were transported to a Fort Lauderdale boat ramp and were not injured, BSO said.
Broward Sheriff Fire Rescue, the U.S. Coast Guard and Fort Lauderdale Fire Rescue also responded. Sea Tow later recovered the vessel.
Boat Catches Fire, Drifts Toward Shoreline
10/7/26 – Bay Shore, NY
Firefighters extinguished a boat fire on the afternoon of October 7 after an unoccupied vessel began drifting toward shore near the marina in Bay Shore, New York, according to the Bay Shore Fire Department.
The department responded to a report of a boat fire at the marina. Firefighters were already responding to another emergency when the call came in and quickly headed to the marina, officials said.
While monitoring the Suffolk County Police Department's command radio, firefighters learned that the vessel was unoccupied and drifting toward South Penataquit Avenue near an area known as "The Point."
Department Chief John Ippolito redirected responding firefighters to the location, where they found smoke coming from the boat's cabin. The vessel was approximately 10 feet from the shoreline bulkhead, according to the department.
With assistance from the Suffolk County Police Department's Marine Juliet boat, responders were able to bring the vessel to the bulkhead and secure it, allowing firefighters to board safely. Once aboard, firefighters quickly extinguished a fire in the boat's engine compartment using a hose line from Bay Shore Fire Department Marine-26, officials said.
The Town of Babylon Public Safety Bay Constables, New York State Department of Environmental Conservation Police, NOAA Police and a mutual aid fireboat from the East Islip Fire Department also responded.
All emergency units cleared the scene and returned to service in less than an hour, the department said. The cause of the fire was not immediately disclosed.
Kayaker Pulled from San Francisco Bay After Capsizing
10/8/26 – San Francisco, CA
A kayaker stranded in San Francisco’s frigid waters got lucky after a joint-effort rescue near the Bay Bridge.
The San Francisco Police Department’s (SFPD) Marine Unit and Drone as First Responder (DFR) Team responded alongside the San Francisco Fire Department to rescue the kayaker on the afternoon of October 8.
After a 911 caller reported an overturned kayak near the San Francisco Ferry Building late that afternoon, video posted on Instagram by SFPD showed drone footage of the capsized kayak around 2:41 p.m.
A second 911 caller reported that one kayaker, who was wearing a life jacket, had made it safely to shore. However, the boater’s companion still remained in the water.
An SFPD drone located the overturned kayak, followed by a San Francisco Fire Department boat. Officers recovered the kayak and a paddle behind Fire Station 35. One of the callers then said they could hear someone under the westernmost column of the Bay Bridge.
SFPD Marine Unit officers rescued the man from the water, then transferred him to the fire department’s boat.
2 Rescued from Disabled PWC on Elizabeth River
9/30/26 – Norfolk, VA
Norfolk Fire-Rescue responded to rescue two people from a disabled personal watercraft (PWC) on Virginia’s Elizabeth River on the evening of September 30. The incident happened between Craney Island and the Norfolk International Terminals and Naval Station Norfolk, according to Norfolk Fire-Rescue.
Two people contacted emergency services around 6:45 p.m. to report their PWC had become disabled and was taking on water. One of the people on the PWC was unable to swim, according to the report.
Norfolk Fire-Rescue’s Boat 7 located the PWC and helped both individuals into the boat, then towed the craft back to shore. No injuries were reported.
Coast Guard Assists 4 Aboard Disabled 15-Foot Vessel
10/10/26, 10/11/26 – Fort Pierce/ Miami, FL
A U.S. Coast Guard boat crew assisted four people aboard a disabled 15-foot vessel near Fort Pierce Inlet, Florida, after its engine became inoperative.
Amid rainy conditions on October 11, the crew provided a manual bilge pump as a precaution against flooding and towed the vessel safely to Stan Blum Boat Ramp.
"Our Coast Guard crews stay prepared through continuous training, qualifications and physical fitness, ensuring they remain Semper Paratus, Always Ready, to respond to maritime emergencies across the Southeast’s 1.8 million square mile area of responsibility," the agency posted on Facebook.
The previous day, a U.S. Coast Guard Station Miami boat crew had rescued one person in the water after a passing personal watercraft operator waved them down and alerted them to an overturned hydrofoil near Flagler Memorial Island.
Man Found Dead After Accident on Arkansas Lake
9/22/26 – White Co., AR
A man was found dead on September 23 after authorities spent about 20 hours searching for him at Bald Knob Lake, Arkansas.
The Sheriff's Office in White County, Arkansas, identified the man as 38-year-old Garry Thomas Jr. The search began around 7 p.m. on Tuesday September 22, after Arkansas Game and Fish Commission (AGFC) officers were called to the lake for a report of a missing boater.
When AGFC officers arrived, they found Thomas' truck and boat trailer in the Bald Knob Lake parking lot. His empty boat was later found floating near the west side of the lake. Authorities said the boat's outboard motor had significant damage.
Sonar, Drones Used in Search
The White County Sheriff's Office Dive Team, led by Chief Clayton Edwards, joined the search. Crews used boats, sonar and two drones to search the lake and shoreline. An additional AGFC sonar boat was brought in from Little Rock to help with the search.
Authorities later found shoes and clothing believed to belong to Thomas in the water about 800 feet south of where the damaged boat was found. The search continued throughout the night and into Wednesday morning.
Around 3 p.m., authorities found Thomas' body submerged near the mouth of a channel on the north side of the lake. Thomas' family remained at the lake during the search and later identified his body.
The Arkansas Game and Fish Commission was investigating the incident as a fatal boating accident. An official cause of death was not released at the time.
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