Accidents of the Week - October 19, 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.
Boat Catches Fire at Lake Ontario’s Irondequoit Bay
10/5/24 – Rochester, NY
The West Webster Fire Department (WWFD) in Webster, New York, responded to a boat fire at the Irondequoit Bay overnight on 5 October.
WWFD responded to Irondequoit Bay, on Lake Ontario, around 1:15 a.m. for the report of a boat fire on a dock.
According to WWFD, the fire department’s Marine 126 unit arrived on scene to assist crews battling the flames, and the fire was eventually brought under control before it could spread to other boats nearby.
Coast Guard Assists Disabled Vessel in Oregon Inlet
10/7/24 – Nags Head, NC
U.S. Coast Guard (USCG) Station Oregon Inlet received a report of a disabled 27-foot Boston Whaler anchored on the bar on Monday, 7 October.
Two lifeboat crews launched from the Oregon Inlet Station, in North Carolina, with one lifeboat transferring the whaler crew onboard, while the other lifeboat prepared to tow the vessel to shore. “Crews saw up to eight-foot breaking waves on the bar, which could be deadly to a normal vessel if not timed correctly,” stated USCG Station Oregon Inlet in an update.
Anchors ‘Not Guarantee of Safety’: Coast Guard
“The vessel and all passengers were safely brought into safe water thanks to the outstanding, levelheaded decision-making of our crews,” the USCG statement added. “Our crews recently got the opportunity to carry out what we train for, and one of the most important things we train for is getting people into safe water through a breaking bar.”
“Our crews moved with such urgency because we know that anchors are not a guarantee of safety,” the Coast Guard stressed. “Luckily, this vessel’s anchor held long enough for us to arrive. In the past, others have not.”
Two Rescued After Boat Overturns in Pearl River
10/4/24 – Marion Co., MS
A pair of volunteer fire departments helped pluck two people from Mississippi’s Pearl River, after their boat overturned on the night of 4 October.
A post on the local Tri-Community Fire Department’s Facebook page said that firefighters were dispatched to a section of the river about a mile north of the Mississippi 44 extension bridge. The department said that first responders had two boats in the water within 17 minutes, with Morgantown Volunteer Fire Department adding another craft to the search-and-rescue effort.
The two occupants were found safe and transported back to the boat ramp, TCFD said. No injuries were reported. Marion County Sheriff’s Office deputies and Mississippi Department of Wildlife, Fisheries, and Parks conservation officers were also on-scene.
Boat Goes Up in Flames at Massachusetts Yacht Club
10/10/24 –Newton, MA
It was a dramatic scene on the morning of 10 October at the Newton Yacht Club in Newton, Massachusetts, when a boat went up in flames, sending heavy smoke into the air.
The local fire department confirmed that no one was hurt and only one boat was involved. The Newton Yacht Club is on the Charles River off Nonantum Road.
No other details were immediately available.
Multiple Injured After Accident in Patuxent River
10/12/24 – Calvert Co., MD
Police, firefighters, and emergency medical services responded to Maryland’s Patuxent River on Saturday 12 October, at approximately 1:15 p.m., for a reported boating accident with injuries and one ejected.
911 callers reported a small center console vessel hit a hard wave, which caused the operator to be ejected from the boat into the water. The occupant was assisted back into the boat prior to the arrival of First Responders.
Firefighters from several local districts and departments responded, with crews locating the disabled vessel and confirming all four occupants were on board. Rescuers coordinated efforts to remove all four patients from the vessel.
The patients were safely transported to shore, where emergency medical technicians provided further care and three were transported to an area hospital. The Department of Natural Resources Police responded and launched an investigation.
Boat Catches on Fire on Idaho Lake
10/8/24 – Bayview, ID
A boat caught fire on Idaho’s Lake Pend Oreille over the weekend of 5 and 6 October.
Video captured by an eyewitness showed the fireboat of the local MacDonald’s Resort tackling the flames. According to the man who shot the video, the boat caught on fire after its operator attempted to start the engine at the dock.
Fortunately, the boat was towed away from the dock to prevent the flames from spreading, and the blaze was eventualy extinguished by the MacDonald’s fireboat.
Man Drowns After Boat Drawn into Dam Generators
10/12/24 – Lawrence Co., AL
The Alabama Law Enforcement Agency (ALEA) shared an update after a man drowned at the state’s Wheeler Dam on the afternoon of 12 October.
According to the Lawrence County Coroner, 69-year-old Dennis Neal drowned at the Wheeler Dam Boat Ramp. Documents show the drowning was labeled as an accident and that the Alabama Law Enforcement Agency’s Marine Patrol Division handled the investigation.
ALEA said the incident happened around 2 p.m. when Neal, 44-year-old Timothy Hazelwood, and a 14-year-old, all from Lewisburg, Tennessee, were onboard a fishing boat. The Agency said the vessel’s trolling motor failed, which resulted in the boat being drawn into the Dam’s generators, causing it to overturn.
Boaters Found Between Dam’s Turbines
A Trooper with ALEA’s Marine Patrol Division and members of the Killen Fire Department responded to the scene.
The teen and Hazelwood were found in between two of the Dam’s turbines. While searching for Neal, the agencies said his body was found in the same area as the other two passengers.
10 Boats Burned, 1 Person Injured in Large Marina Fire
10/13/24 – Grapevine, TX
A fire broke out on a boat at Silver Lake Marina in Grapevine, Texas, on 13 October, damaging or destroying at least nine other boats and leaving one person injured, fire officials declared.
Fire investigators said a boat caught fire at about 1:15 p.m. when someone tried to start an engine. Officials were investigating the cause of the blaze and said it was possible the fire had been sparked by an electrical short or a fuel leak.
The flames then spread to other boats docked at the marina, causing significant damage to four and minor to moderate damage to another six. Fire officials said the total number of boats damaged could grow as the investigation continued.