Accidents of the Week - September 23, 2023

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2-Month-Old Among 25 Rescued After Houseboat Fire

9/13/23 – Lake Powell, UT

A Utah family is grateful to be alive after their houseboat caught fire at Lake Powell. 

Maddy Tolman said her family had only been onboard for about 45 minutes when they heard a loud boom. “We heard a big boom! Not knowing what it was, we went to investigate. We found the motor on the houseboat had exploded, and caught on fire,” Tolman said. “It was about five-to-10 minutes between the explosion and when the boat was engulfed in flames.” 

Tolman said all 25 family members, including a mother and her 2-month-old baby, jumped in the water to safety. Some were able to grab lifejackets, others were not so lucky. 

“We had about 25 people on board, including a 2-month-old, two toddlers, an 8-year-old diabetic, and three more elementary-aged kids on board. We quickly jumped out of the boat and swam to safety on a few boats that had stopped to rescue us,” she said. 

The family was grateful for the good Samaritans who rushed to the scene with boats and got them safely out of the water. “Luckily, no one was hospitalized. No one walked away with any injuries,” Tolman said. “We’re grateful to be alive and grateful for those who saved our loved ones by stopping to scoop us out of the water.”

Dad, 9-Year-Old Killed after Crashing Jet Ski into Barge

9/9/23 – Cheatham Co., TN

Authorities said a man and a child lost their lives on the night of September 9th in a boating incident on a lake in Tennessee. The crash was reported on Cheatham Lake, which is part of the Cumberland River, at approximately 7:45 pm. 

According to the Tennessee Wildlife Resources Agency (TWRA), the collision occurred between a personal watercraft and a barge. A wildlife officer told local reporters that a jet ski was involved. 

According to a preliminary investigation, 36-year-old Steven White was operating a personal watercraft when he struck a barge that was being pushed by a Hines Furlong Line tow boat. Authorities said that White’s 9-year-old son was a passenger on the watercraft. 

After the crash, the operator of the tow boat reportedly activated the general alarm and deckhands launched a vessel to assist White and the boy. Deckhands found White unresponsive and without a pulse, according to the TWRA. He was then taken to nearby first responders at the Cheatham Dam Campground boat ramp, where he was later pronounced dead. 

“It’s all about the family. I mean, we’re here to get the family closure as fast as possible, and everybody out here takes time away from their family to be here for the family that’s missing somebody,” said Davidson County Wildlife Officer Matthew Norman with the TWRA. 

Officials said White and his son were both wearing personal floatation devices during the collision. Multiple agencies reportedly combed through the area for the 9-year-old until 1 a.m. on September 10th, while TWRA officers made routine searches throughout the night. 

Crews returned to the lake at 8 a.m. to resume a full-scale search for the missing child. The TWRA used its remotely operated vehicle (ROV) to aid in the underwater search for the child. 

Passengers Ejected from Racing Boat After ‘Abrupt Turn’

9/8/23 – Coral Gables, FL

A racing boat that partially sank on the morning of 8 September in Miami’s Biscayne Bay had made an “abrupt turn” before the two passengers onboard the boat were ejected, the Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission (FWC) confirmed on 9 September. 

The incident happened sometime before 10:30 a.m., according to fire dispatch records. According to the FWC, two men were on board the 24′ Power Catamaran and were leaving Matheson Hammock State Park when the boat made an abrupt turn, ejecting both passengers, who were identified as Francisco Cordero II, 54, and Ruskin Passaro, 49. 

The FWC said both men were retrieved from the water by good Samaritans. Medics took the victims to Jackson Memorial Hospital, Coral Gables police said. One of the victims had severe injuries and was admitted as a trauma alert patient. 

A friend of the victims said he was in the process of taking his boat out to meet them when the crash happened. He said that both were experienced with speedboats.

Boat Catches Fire in Waters off Key Largo

9/10/23 – Key Largo, FL

A boat was fully engulfed in flames near mangroves in Key Largo, Florida, with video showing flames shooting out from the vessel in the waters on the bay side of the key’s Little Buttonwood Sound. 

Authorities responded around 8:30 a.m. on 10 September. According to deputies, the boat was reported to be an unoccupied liveaboard vessel. 

The Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission launched an investigation into the cause of the fire.

Man Rescued 6 Miles off Coast after Kayak Capsizes

9/9/23 – Ventura Co., CA

A 49-year-old man from Los Angeles had to be rescued some six miles out to sea, off the coastline of Ventura County, California, officials announced on 11 September.

Blair Boyle told first responders with the Ventura County Aviation Unit that he paddled his kayak to Anacapa Island on the morning of 9 September, and that when he was returning to Oxnard Harbor, he accidentally overturned the kayak.

“He attempted to right the kayak several times but was unsuccessful before using his cell phone to call for help,” a joint news release from the Ventura County Sheriff’s Office and Fire Department said.

Airlifted to Safety from Partially Submerged Kayak

At 2:20 p.m., fire officials received a 911 call requesting assistance in locating Boyle. A Ventura County helicopter was dispatched with a search and rescue team after receiving Boyle’s approximate GPS coordinates. A sheriff’s boat and a fire department boat were also dispatched to help locate the kayaker. 

“Ventura County Copter 9 responded to the area of the GPS coordinates and immediately located Blair floating in the water, clinging to his kayak which was partially submerged but still floating,” the release stated. A rescue swimmer was deployed from the helicopter and used a rescue basket to hoist Boyle into the chopper where he was evaluated by a paramedic. 

Boyle, who was uninjured, estimated he was in the water for about an hour before being rescued. He was then flown to Oxnard Airport where he was reunited with his family. The sheriff’s boat recovered Boyle’s kayak, which was later returned to him. 

Good Samaritan Helps Save Near-Drowning Victim on Texas Lake

9/8/23 – Gun Barrel City, TX

A Good Samaritan helped save a near-drowning victim in Gun Barrel City, East Texas. 

According to the Gun Barrel City Fire Department (GBCFD), at around 8:15 pm on September 8th, officers were notified of a victim in Cedar Creek Lake in the 400 block of Admiral Dr. When first responders arrived on scene, they heard a man yelling for help and were able to spot a kayak in the water about 200 yards from the shore. 

Would-Be Rescuer Needed Rescuing

Crews were able to get a boat out to the kayak and rescue the man, who was taken to a local hospital for treatment. As officials talked to bystanders, they learned more about the situation. "Two people visiting the area were staying in a house in the 400 block Admiral Drive," the GBCFD said. "One of the family members went out in a kayak without a life jacket on. They fell in the water and called out for help. A second family member went out into the lake and was able to rescue them and they were able to get to shore.” 

“The second family member then drifted out into the lake about 200 yards from shore without a life jacket holding onto the kayak. They became fatigued and were unable to hold onto the kayak and the kayak floated away. They attempted to swim to shore but were too tired. They cried out for help.”

“A neighbor nearby put on a life jacket,” officials continued, “and paddled out to the victim in a second kayak. The neighbor was able to calm the victim down and the victim was able to hold onto the side of the kayak until the Gun Barrel City Rescue Boat arrived. The Gun Barrel City Rescue Boat arrived on scene 18 minutes after the call was received by Gun Barrel Police Dispatch. "

4 Escape from Sinking Boat During Thunderstorm

9/11/23 – Osceola Co., FL

Four people boating in Osceola County, Florida, got quite a scare after their boat started to sink during bad weather on the night of September 11th. 

The incident occurred on East Lake Tohopekaliga in St. Cloud, Florida. The St. Cloud Fire Rescue Department said that around 10 p.m., firefighters and police marine units responded to a call of boaters in distress on the lake.

Three adults were able to swim ashore during the intense thunderstorms, officials said. Rescue crews eventually got the fourth adult out of the lake and to safety. No one was hurt. Fire officials said it was not clear what had caused the vessel to sink.

Father Drowns, 8-Year-Old Swims to Shore After Boat Flips

9/13/23 – Marbury, MD

A man was found dead in a Maryland creek on September 13th, a day after his boat overturned during a fishing trip and his 8-year-old son was able to swim to shore, authorities said. 

Marvin Omar Harris, of Clinton, was the victim, Maryland Department of Natural Resources Police said in an update on the evening of September 13th. He was 36. 

8-Year-Old Swam to Shore, ‘Found Someone to Call 911’

Harris drowned in Mattawoman Creek on September 12th after his inflatable boat capsized, police said. He was with his 8-year-old son, according to the Charles County fire department. They began fishing at about 8 a.m. in what police described as an “Intex Seahawk 4 fitted with a trolling motor.” 

At some point, both father and son fell into the water, police said. The child was able to swim to shore near Creeds Mill Place in Marbury and “found someone who called 911,” police said in a statement. 

Multiple crews responded, including the U.S. Coast Guard. Local news footage showed crews search the creek.