Boating Accidents of the Week - January 14, 2023
January 14, 2023
Man Dies Kayaking in Great Smoky Mountains
12/16/22 – Gatlinburg, TN
The Sinks, on the Little River, is a well-known beauty spot with natural pools and a waterfall that are easily accessed from a nearby road. It's often used for swimming and boating, particularly on hot days, but strong undercurrents can quickly pull people under.
Reported numbers vary, but according to local news site TheDailyTimes, seven people drowned at the site between 1971 and 2013.
In 2013, a Canadian man taking part in a whitewater rafting festival died after being submerged for 30 minutes while onlookers tried to rescue him. "Unfortunately, this tragedy is a reminder that even when participants are experienced, there are inherent dangers when engaged in whitewater recreational activities," said Chief Ranger Clay Jordan at the time.
"Park waters are swift with many unseen obstacles just below the water surface. In addition, river levels can rise rapidly after a heavy rainfall."
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Boats Destroyed in Taylorsville Lake Marina Fire
12/17/22 – Spencer Co., KY
Several boats were destroyed after a fire at a Taylorsville marina, according to the Taylorsville Spencer County Fire Protection District. Officials say they were called out to Settlers Trace Marina just before 11 p.m. Saturday night. When they got there, they found that the marina structure, a house boat and three pontoon boats were all on fire.
Firefighters were able to get control of the blaze within about 40 minutes but not before four boats were completely destroyed and three others were damaged. Investigators say it appears a cigarette that had been thrown away started the fire. Thankfully, they said that no one was hurt during the fire.
Rash of Marina Fires
“We started seeing the marina fires in the region and across the country, and even though we hadn’t had that type of emergency in years past, it was something we wanted to be prepared for,” Taylorsville Spencer County Fire Protection District Chief Nathan Nation said.
That 2020 training paid off Saturday night in Spencer County after a smoker fell asleep in their houseboat with a lit cigarette, setting off a fire that burned four boats.
“How much hose it would take to reach certain points of the marina, what would our strategies be, how are we going to deploy the fire boat,” Nation said. The fire boat pumped water onto the fire while firefighters connected four 200-foot sections of hose, knowing they needed to get to the fire 750 feet away.
The training and plan meant they didn’t have to think about how they would respond. They just did.
“All those things gave us different options in this scenario and from talking to the firefighters afterwards of this run, all that training really come into play, and helped this incident go smoothly,” Nation said. The fire chief said the houseboat is owned by the marina and was housing a worker. The sheriff’s office said any criminal investigation will be handled by state conservation officers.
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Woman, 2 Kids Rescued from Disabled Florida Boat
12/18/22 – Anclote Key, FL
Three people were rescued by the Coast Guard in mid-December. According to the U.S. Coast Guard, the three people on the boat were about 96 miles offshore of Anclote Key when the boat became disabled. A woman was on the boat with two children, a 12-year-old and a 3-year-old.
When the boat became disabled, the Coast Guard said the weather was also getting worse. The woman called for help and a Coast Guard helicopter aircrew assisted her and the two children. No one was injured. The woman and the children were taken to an air station.
Coast Guard Advice
Claudia Kearn of the St. Petersburg Command Center said communication and knowing safety procedures is important. "This successful rescue was made possible by the quick response and effective communication between our rescue crews and the vessel's master.
It is essential for all mariners to have and use a VHF-FM radio in case of an emergency," Kearn said. "This allows rescue crews to establish a clear and direct line of communication, which can be critical in a crisis situation. Please take the time to familiarize yourself with your vessel's safety equipment and procedures, and always be vigilant about your own safety and the safety of those around you."
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Boat Sinks After Catching Fire on ICW
12/19/22 – Boca Raton, FL
One person was recovering after a boat caught fire in Boca Raton. The boat caught fire at around 9 a.m. on the morning of 12 December in the Intracoastal Waterway, near the Boca Raton Beach Club at 900 S Ocean Blvd. Mark Weingarden captured video of smoke billowing from the boat before it sank into the Intracoastal.
According to Boca Raton police, the occupant on the boat was able to get off safely before the boat drifted farther south. With the fire out, crews worked to remove the sunken boat.
No explanation was given for the cause of the fire.
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4 Hospitalized After Explosion on Boat at Marina
12/11/22 – Miami, FL
Four people were taken to the hospital after a boat went up in flames in mid-December near Pelican Harbor Marina in Miami, according to authorities. At around 11 a.m., a 35-foot boat with six people aboard caught fire somewhere around the marina at 1275 NE 79th St., west of North Bay Village on Biscayne Bay, U.S. Coast Guard Petty Officer Ryan Estrada told reporters.
Four were taken to Jackson Memorial’s Ryder Trauma Center, he said.
“There were four patients total transported, two of which suffered traumatic injuries possibly related to burns,” said Miami-Dade Fire Rescue spokeswoman Andrea Rudchenco. “The other two were ALS (advanced life support) patients, who required advanced life support medical care prior to being transported to a local hospital.”
Before the Coast Guard arrived, a fire boat had already extinguished the blaze and taken its occupants to safety, Estrada added. From there, the Coast Guard towed the charred boat to the marina. “It is reported that the vessel had a fuel leak, which led to the fire,” Estrada said.
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Kayaker Rescued by Coast Guard in Bellingham Bay
12/10/22 – Bellingham Bay, WA
The U.S. Coast Guard rescued a 60-year-old kayaker who overturned Saturday in Bellingham Bay. The kayaker was paddling with two others near Fairhaven when the weather forced the group to shore, the Coast Guard said.
The two others called for help after arriving to shore, noticing the third kayaker missing and attempting to contact him using a radio. The rescued kayaker was able to use a handheld very high frequency (VHF) radio to call for help.
The Coast Guard’s boat crew recovered the survivor from the water in the Bellingham Bay-Squalicum Harbor area where he was treated for symptoms of hypothermia from the 46-degree water. The kayaker was in stable condition when transferred to EMS, according to the Coast Guard.
Kayaker Was Wearing PFD
The Coast Guard noted that the survivor had on a wet suit, hat, gloves, bright clothing and a life jacket along with his VHF radio with built-in distress signal. In a tweet, the Coast Guard urged the public to dress appropriately for the water, have a plan, know the weather forecast and have a way to call for help if and when needed.