Boating Accidents of the Week - January 21, 2023
January 21, 2023
In ‘Nightmare Scenario’, 1 Dead, 1 Critically Injured After Boat Fire Along Ohio River
12/30/22 – Dayton, KY
According to Bellevue-Dayton Fire Chief Chris Adkins, just after 11 a.m., fire crews responded to reports of a boat fire at the Manhattan Harbor marina in Dayton, Kentucky. Adkins said firefighters were advised someone might be in the water or still on the boat. Upon arrival, crews found two vessels, a houseboat and a cabin cruiser, on fire, Adkins said,
Firefighters located one person in the water and were able to rescue him. Adkins said the victim was transported to UC Hospital with critical burn injuries.
Fire officials said they discovered there was a second person still on one of the boats. That victim was pronounced dead at the scene. No further information on the victim's identity was released.
‘Difficult Fire to Fight’
"This is a nightmare scenario for us, we had two boats full of fuel, with at least 600 gallons of gas that is now in the water," Adkins said. "It was kind of a difficult fire to fight because we had long reach for the firefighting equipment, and we were fighting fuel."
Fire crews were able to get the flames under control after a few hours. The smoke from the fire could be seen from across the river.
In an update on January 2nd, Adkins said all power had been restored to the docks with the exception of an area immediately surrounding the fire. All residents that were displaced were then able to return to their boats.
Adkins said the harbor would remain closed to river traffic while clean-up efforts continued, with crews using absorbent booms and pads to remove fuel.
Multiple agencies were called in to assist with the situation, including Campbell County OEM, Kentucky Fish and Wildlife, the U.S. Coast Guard, the Kentucky EPA and the Red Cross.
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Girl Dies After Being Thrown From Airboat Near Rockport, Texas
12/27/22 – Corpus Christi, TX
A girl died on December 27th in an airboat accident on San Jose Island, San Patricio County Game Warden Public Information Officer Lerrin Johnson confirmed to reporters.
Johnson said Texas Game Wardens responded to St. Charles Bay boat ramp in the afternoon hours of December 27th for reports of the girl being thrown from the airboat in Vinson Slough.
Several good Samaritan boats helped bring the girl and her family to the boat ramp where EMS met them. She was taken to a Rockport emergency room where she was pronounced dead, Johnson said.
Coast Guard, Parks & Wildlife Investigating Incident
"As of right now, the cause has not been determined," Johnson said. "We look at, you know, totality of everything. And then, we're working with Coast Guard because it was a licensed guide. So therefore, they take the lead on any of these investigations when it comes to licensed or credentialed individuals."
Texas Parks and Wildlife along with the Coast Guard were looking into the incident to see if a criminal investigation was warranted, per standard procedure in these cases.
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1 Injured After Boat Catches Fire Off Peanut Island in Riviera Beach
12/30/22 – Palm Beach Co., FL
Riviera Beach Fire Rescue said six to seven passengers were on board when the fire started. Rescue crews transported a man to St. Mary’s Medical Center for minor burns, while fire crews extinguished the flames.
Witness Bill Westley told WPTV the boat captain started the engine and got blown off the boat. The cause of the fire was under investigation.
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Coroner ID’s Man Killed in Kayak Incident in Piqua
1/1/23 – Piqua, OH
One man was dead after a kayak flipped over in Piqua near the Great Miami River on January 1st, according to Piqua Police. The Miami County Coroner’s Office identified the man on January 2nd as Kyle Ratcliff, 29, of Quincy.
A fisherman found a kayak with no one in it at the 1000 block of S. Main Street and notified Piqua Police at approximately 5:10 p.m.
Officers pulled Ratcliff from the river and transported him to Upper Valley Medical Center in Troy. Ratcliff was pronounced deceased at the hospital.
No foul play was suspected, and all signs indicated that it was an accident, according to police. No information was provided on whether the victim was wearing a life vest.
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Two Bodies Recovered From Smith Mountain Lake ID’d as Missing Boaters
1/2/23 – Smith Mountain Lake, VA
Two bodies that were recovered from Smith Mountain Lake on the morning of January 5th were confirmed to be two boaters who went missing after their boat capsized on January 2nd.
The bodies of Landon Oakes, 21, of Danville and Zachary Travis, 20, of Danville were recovered from the lake around 10:30 a.m., according to Conservation Police. Both men were on a boat that capsized near the Anthony Ford Boat ramp in Penhook on January 2nd at about 3 p.m., the Smith Mountain Lake Marine Volunteer Fire and Rescue stated.
Crews said a bystander on shore had seen it happen and called it in around 3 p.m. When rescue crews arrived at the scene, the two people in the water had disappeared, according to Chief Todd Ohlerich with Smith Mountain Lake Marine Volunteer Fire & Rescue.
It was not reported whether or not the victims were wearing PFDs, but we assume they were not.
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Crews Search For Missing Person After Boating Accident on Yellow River
12/30/22 – Holt, FL
According to sources at the Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission (FWC), a boating accident happened a quarter mile east of the Rivers Edge boat ramp. Two people were onboard a 14-foot fishing boat.
FWC said one person was ejected. The boat operator tried to recover that person, but was unable to. A good Samaritan then helped rescue the operator. According to the FWC, the boat sank. The other man who was on the boat is still missing.
FWC patrol units and investigators were called to the scene with their dive team. Crews conducted several dives with no success. The Okaloosa County Sheriff’s Office was also assisting with their dive team.
"The session was forced to end due to inclement weather," the Okaloosa County Sheriff's Office said in a post around 4:15 p.m. The vessel involved has since been lifted and removed from the river. As of December 31st, the missing person had still not been located. No other details were released.
FYI – Federal law requires boats powered with a 2-hp engine or greater which are 20’ or less in length must float level if swamped and not sink. We assume the USCG will investigate this accident.
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Fisherman Dies in Cherokee Lake Boating Incident
12/31/22 – Morristown, TN
An east Tennessee fisherman died after falling into Cherokee Lake near Kidwell’s Ridge Access Area on December 31st.
Tennessee Wildlife Resources Agency (TWRA) officers said that around 7:54 a.m., Jeremy Gene Keen, 47, of Morristown, and his 14-year-old son were trolling in an aluminum Jon boat when Mr. Keen fell into the water. The son entered the water and was able to hang onto his father as the boat continued to make circles.
A nearby fisherman saw the incident and pulled both anglers from the water, but unfortunately, Mr. Keen did not survive.
Neither Fisherman Was Wearing PFDs
TWRA wildlife officers arrived on the scene and were able to stop the boat. Neither fisherman was wearing a life jacket at the time of the incident.
The son was taken to Morristown-Hamblen Healthcare System, where he was treated for cold water exposure. Wildlife officers said that the water temperature in that part of the lake is about 36 degrees Fahrenheit and they encouraged boaters, anglers, or anyone near the water to wear a personal flotation device.
Even when wearing a PFD, a victim falling into cold water may lose their ability to keep their head above the water. Please use extreme caution, dress appropriately, and never boat or fish alone, the officers insisted.
FYI -- A federal law that took effect April 1, 2021 requires devices connected to the kill switch of the engine be connected to the operator on all personal watercraft (PWCs) and most powerboats less than 26 feet in length.