Accidents of the Week - September 26, 2026
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Crews in Fort Lauderdale Battle Blaze on Catamaran
9/20/26 – Fort Lauderdale, FL
Fort Lauderdale Fire Rescue crews battled a fire aboard a roughly 60-foot catamaran on the early morning of September 20.
Video obtained by local news outlets showed the boat, named Promiscuous, fully engulfed in flames. The fire appeared to be concentrated toward the stern.
According to fire rescue officials, residents of the 100 block of Hendricks Isles in Fort Lauderdale, Florida, called in the fire around 6:05 a.m., with smoke seen billowing into the air for miles as crews rushed to the scene.
Firefighters Used Tools to Cut into Boat
Residents told reporters that they woke up to a small fire that grew within seconds. At one point, they said they heard what sounded like an explosion as the boat was consumed by flames.
Nearly 20 Fort Lauderdale Fire Rescue units responded, according to officials. Video from the scene showed crews using tools to cut into the boat and access hot spots that continued to smolder.
According to residents, Promiscuous was up for sale for about $1 million. No injuries were reported and the cause of the fire remained under investigation.
One Dead, Multiple Injured After Two-Boat Collision
9/20/26 – Rankin Co., MS
One person lost their life and multiple people were injured after a two-boat collision on Mississippi’s Ross Barnett Reservoir early on the morning of September 20.
According to officials, the Reservoir Police Department responded to reports of the crash located north of Goshen Springs, Mississippi, at approximately 1:02 a.m. The Reservoir Police Department confirmed one death in the collision.
The victim was identified as 23-year-old Madison Alford of Lena, Mississippi, according to Rankin County Coroner David Ruth. Patrick LeBrun with the Reservoir Police Department told local reporters that four other individuals were injured in the crash and two people were uninjured. A total of seven people were involved in the collision.
Two Operators to Be Charged with DUI
The two boat drivers, Nelson Jimenez and Nathan Rhinewalt, were set to be charged with felony DUI for boating under the influence, LeBrun added. Both subjects received a $100,000 bond.
The Mississippi Department of Wildlife, Fisheries, and Parks, the Rankin County Emergency Operations Center, Goshen Fire Department, Pafford Ambulance, and UMMC AirCare also responded to the scene and assisted.
Additionally, officials said bystanders in the area rushed in to help the victims until emergency crews arrived. The Reservoir Police Department was investigating the incident, and no further information had been released at the time of reporting.
Stranded Boater Rescued from South Carolina River
9/21/26 – Charleston Co., SC
The Charleston County Sheriff’s Office and the United States Coast Guard worked together on the evening of September 21 to rescue a stranded boater from an oyster bed deep in the marsh along South Carolina’s Dawhoo River.
According to the Charleston County Sheriff’s Office (CCSO), deputies launched an airboat after the Coast Guard requested assistance with a boater who had been stranded in the river for several hours and was showing signs of dehydration. The Coast Guard requested help because the marshy terrain was too dangerous to cross.
A Coast Guard rescue swimmer was deployed from a helicopter and safely guided the boater to the airboat, CCSO said.
The boater received treatment and was in recovery, according to CCSO.
Authorities Pull Two People from Sinking Boat
9/19/26 – Many, LA
The Sheriff’s Marine Unit in Sabine Parish, Louisiana, safely pulled two boaters from Toledo Bend Lake on the afternoon of September 19, avoiding a potentially dangerous situation.
Sheriff Arron Mitchell said authorities received a distress call around 3 p.m. after a tritoon boat began sinking near the mouth of San Miguel. Marine deputies responded quickly, rescued both occupants, and towed the boat back to shore.
The incident ended without injury to either boater, though the boat sustained significant water damage.
Two Escape Boat Fire Without Injury
9/19/26 – Nassau Co., FL
A boat fire was extinguished near Florida’s Talbot Island by firefighters from Nassau County and Jacksonville, after two occupants aboard the vessel called 911.
Both occupants safely got off the vessel without injuries, said a Facebook post by Nassau County Sheriff's Office, whose marine unit responded.
Nassau County deputies arrived on scene first and began spraying water on the burning vessel. Approximately 10 minutes later, Nassau County Fire Rescue Marine 20 arrived using the Zodiac boat stationed on the island and brought foam to assist in extinguishing the fire.
The cause of the fire was unknown.
Coast Guard Rescues 2 Missing Jet Skiers
9/20/26 – Clearwater, FL
Two missing jet skiers were rescued on September 20 after their personal watercraft tipped over during a storm and they were swept away near Tampa Bay’s Courtney Campbell Causeway, according to the U.S. Coast Guard.
A Coast Guard Station St. Petersburg boat crew responded after the two PWC users went missing approximately 1 mile south of the Courtney Campbell Causeway, the Coast Guard said. Officials said the jet ski had tipped over during a storm, causing the two people to become separated from the watercraft and swept away.
The boat crew located the missing jet skiers and rescued them from the water. The Coast Guard crew transferred the two individuals to the Courtney Campbell Boat Ramp, where they were evaluated by EMS. No injuries or medical concerns were reported, according to officials.
Officials did not provide additional information about what exactly caused the PWC to tip over or how long the two people spent in the water.
Agencies Search for Boater on Mississippi River
9/20/26 – Osceola, AR
Three people were on a boat that overturned on the night of September 20 on the Mississippi River near Sans Souci Landing, according to the Fire Department in Osceola, Arkansas.
Initial reports indicated five people may have been involved, but the Osceola Fire Department confirmed on September 21 that there were three people on the boat. The department said two people had been pulled from the water the previous night, with crews continuing the search for the third person.
The Osceola Fire Department said multiple agencies had joined the search, including the Mississippi County Sheriff’s Office, Mississippi County Rescue Unit, Arkansas Game and Fish, Arkansas State Police and the Blytheville Emergency Squad.
There was no official word on September 21 regarding the conditions of the two people who were pulled from the water.
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