Accidents of the Week - September 21, 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.
Boaters Rescued from Sailboat Stuck on Shoals
9/8/24 – Brigantine, NJ
A 35-foot sailboat got stuck in shoals at around 9 p.m. on Sunday 8 September, the firefighters’ union in Brigantine, New Jersey, said in a Facebook post.
Emergency crews found the sailboat leaning to one side and being tossed around by waves. First responders were able to contact both people on the boat and neither was hurt.
Brigantine rescue swimmers were deployed and safely got the boaters to shore. Firefighters also said arrangements were being made to salvage the boat.
Coast Guard Rescues Boater 40 Miles Offshore
9/14/24 – Clearwater, FL
A boater was rescued by Coast Guard Air Station Clearwater aircrews at 2 p.m. on 14 September, after his sailing vessel took on water 40 miles off Crystal River, Florida.
Officials say US Coast Guard airplane and helicopter rescue crews arrived at the scene and located the boater aboard his partially submerged sailboat. The man said he was taking on water through a crack in the hull. The helicopter crew hoisted the man from the water and transported him to Air Station Clearwater.
Coast Guard Praises Boater for Marine-Grade Radio, Wearing PFD
Officials say the boater did an outstanding job by wearing his life jacket and having a marine-grade radio aboard his vessel, contributing to a swift and safe rescue. No injuries were reported.
Two People Injured in Speed Boat Accident
9/9/24 – Roscommon Co., MI
Two people were injured on 9 September when they crashed a speed boat on Higgins Lake, Michigan.
Deputies were dispatched for a report of a boat crash about a mile away from the West Higgins Lake Boat Launch, according to the Sheriff's Office in Roscommon County, Michigan. Deputies located two people who "had been thrown from the boat, were in the water without life jackets" and it was suspected they had "sustained broken bones," the sheriff's office said. No other boats were involved in the crash.
"It appears that the boat lost control while underway, eventually turning abruptly sideways and ejecting the occupants," the sheriff's office said. Deputies were able to transport both individuals to shore where EMS provided medical treatment.
While the sheriff's office said they "are pleased that all occupants survived," they did not elaborate on the severity of their injuries.
80-Foot Boat Erupts in Flames Off Miami Beach
9/12/24 – Miami, FL
Twelve people were safe after a large boat erupted in flames off Miami Beach on 12 September.
Miami-Dade, City of Miami, and Miami Beach Fire Rescue boats responded to the burning 80-foot boat that was on the water near the beachfront Fontainebleau Hotel.
Ten people were offloaded into a City of Miami Fire Rescue boat as two other crew members stayed on board to help crews with the fire suppression system to extinguish the flames.
Firefighters made entry into the vessel and appeared to have the blaze under control. No injuries were reported.
Boater’s Body Pulled from Tennessee Lake
9/11/24 – Nashville, TN
Multiple agencies spent the early morning hours searching for a boater who disappeared after jumping from a boat on Tennessee’s Percy Priest Lake late night on 11 September.
The Metro Nashville Police Department, the Tennessee Wildlife Resources Agency, and the Nashville Fire Department responded to the scene near Elm Hill Marina. Crews found the man’s body after about an hour of searching.
The medical examiner was called to the scene to further investigate the cause of death. A man at the scene who appeared distraught said his friend was a good swimmer and he didn’t understand what went wrong.
3 Rescued After Boat Capsizes Off Irondequoit Bay
9/9/24 – Rochester, NY
Three people were rescued on 9 September after a boat capsized in Lake Ontario near Irondequoit Bay, in upstate New York.
According to the US Coast Guard, two adults and a child were in the sailboat when it capsized. They were wearing life jackets. A Coast Guard crew was able to pull all three out of the water thanks to a quick call from a bystander.
The Coast Guard said the rescue was possible thanks to that good Samaritan, the rescue crew, and the boaters’ use of life jackets.
Search Suspended for Missing Boater Off Florida Coast
9/9/24 – Marco Island, FL
U.S. Coast Guard crews suspended their search for a 70-year-old-man who was last seen departing a marina in Marco Island, Florida, on 9 September, heading north to Indian Rocks Beach.
Bert Erwin was last seen at Marco Island’s Rose Marina in his 37-foot fishing boat, according to a news release from the Coast Guard. On the morning of 11 September, a good Samaritan reported to the Coast Guard that Erwin was overdue to arrive in Pinellas County.
Air and surface crews began a search. In an update the following afternoon, the Coast Guard said crews had located Erwin’s disabled white boat about 28 miles off Englewood, Florida. No one was aboard.
In a news release on 13 September, the Coast Guard said it had suspended the search “pending new information.”
Coast Guard Rescues 2 Boaters, Tows Disabled Vessel
9/15/24 – St Thomas, VI
Coast Guard crews rescued two boaters from a disabled and adrift vessel on the afternoon of 15 September, approximately 11 nautical miles north of St. Croix, U.S. Virgin Islands.
A father and son were rescued after their 35ft cuddy cabin vessel Kraken Up became disabled, following an electrical fire onboard.
Coast Guard watchstanders at Sector San Juan received a distress call on VHF-Channel 16 Mayday transmission from the operator of the Kraken Up and initiated the launch of a Coast Guard MH-60T Jayhawk helicopter from Air Station Borinquen, as well as a 33-foot Special Purpose Craft-Law Enforcement vessel from Boat Forces Unit U.S. Virgin Islands, to render assistance.
Fire Extinguisher, PFDs, VHF Radio on Board ‘Extremely Helpful’
Shortly thereafter, the Coast Guard boat crew arrived on-scene and confirmed the vessel was not taking on water and the situation was under control. The Coast Guard boat crew worked with the boaters to establish a tow for the Kraken Up. Once established, the Coast Guard boat crew towed the vessel to a safe haven at Green Cay Marina in St. Croix.
According to Petty Officer 2nd Class Cameron T. Macneil, the fact that the boaters “were properly equipped with a fire extinguisher, life jackets, and made proper use of their VHF marine radio to relay their situation was extremely helpful to our response and a successful rescue.”
There were no injuries reported in this case.
Unoccupied Boat ‘Running Circles’ Before Running Out of Gas
9/12/24 – Waterford, MI
An unoccupied boat was “running circles” in a Michigan lake before it ran out of gas, according to the local sheriff’s office.
A witness called 911 before 8:30 p.m. on 12 September, to report that a boat was out of control and running circles in the middle of Elizabeth Lake in Waterford Township, Michigan. There was nobody in the boat and there appeared to be shoes floating in the water.
“When my phone went off with the emergency message on a report of unoccupied boat running in circles in middle of the lake at full throttle and clothing floating in the water, I thought this sure sounds like we’re going to have another tragic death,” Oakland County sheriff Michael Bouchard said. “Our team activated and thankfully by sheer luck, that was not the outcome.”
Multiple rescue boats, a strike team from Lapeer, Michigan, a member of the Southeast Michigan Dive Group, and a sheriff’s office helicopter and drone unit were sent to the scene. Officials believed at least one person may have fallen overboard.
When the boat ran out of gas, deputies recovered the 17-foot vessel and found the safety lanyard attached to the key, which was still in the ignition. The throttle had been pressed fully forward.
Operator Inexperience Blamed for Incident
Using the boat registration to locate the boat’s owner, deputies contacted him at home. He told them that he and his passenger were thrown from the boat when they hit a wake. Neither was wearing a life jacket when they were thrown overboard, but they managed to swim to shore.
The sheriff’s office said that alcohol was involved, but the primary cause was the owner’s inexperience operating a boat. The incident was under investigation.