Accidents of the Week - May 11, 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.

Coast Guard, Agencies Assist 8 After Vessel Runs Aground

4/27/24 – Charleston, SC

The Coast Guard and local partner agencies assisted eight people on 27 April, after their vessel ran aground on the Stono River near James Island, South Carolina.

Coast Guard Sector Charleston command center watchstanders received a report at 4:15 p.m. via VHF-FM channel 16 from a person aboard the “19th Hole,” a 34-foot recreational vessel, stating that the vessel ran aground with eight people aboard and multiple injuries sustained.

Watchstanders issued an urgent marine information broadcast and directed the launch of a Coast Guard Station Charleston 29-foot Response Boat – Small to assist. Barrier Island Ocean Rescue, James Island Fire and Rescue, and South Carolina Department of Natural Resources also responded.

Coast Guard Advises Vigilance, Travel at Safe Speeds

After arriving on scene and assessing the situation, the boat crew safely embarked and transported one injured passenger to EMS at Sol Legare Public Boat Landing for further medical care. Six additional passengers were safely transported ashore while one remained aboard the vessel to await commercial salvage assistance.

"We extend our heartfelt gratitude to our local maritime partners for their invaluable assistance during this case," said Petty Officer 3rd Class Kanon Juneau, boat crewman during the case. "We remind all mariners that safety on the water involves traveling at safe speeds, keeping safety equipment onboard, and being vigilant and aware of your surroundings."

Commercial salvage ungrounded the vessel and transported it and the remaining passenger to safety.

In Overnight Rescue, Coast Guard Saves 3 from Disabled Sailboat

4/27/24 – Port Canaveral, FL

Three people were rescued off the coast of Port Canaveral, Florida, in an overnight rescue on 27 April.

The U.S. Coast Guard (USCG) said a group needed to be rescued after the 49-foot boat they were on became disabled at around 2 a.m.

When the USCG arrived they found the sailboat, but commercial salvage crews were unable to assist due to unsafe weather conditions, the USCG said. So, the USCG boat crew hitched and towed the vessel to Jetty Park.

Search Continues for Fisherman Missing on Pennsylvania River

4/29/24 – Bridgeport, PA

The search continued along Pennsylvania’s Schuylkill River in Bridgeport, Montgomery County, for a fisherman who had been missing since Monday 29 April.

Pennsylvania state police conducted an aerial search of the river near the Upper Merion Boathouse for 69-year-old Tony Luongo on 1 May. Friends gathered along the riverbanks hoping for some news, including Luongo's neighbor Don Wallace, who had reported the fisherman missing that afternoon. He told local reporters he knew something was wrong around 4 p.m. that day. "He comes home to let the dog out. No matter where he is fishing, he always comes home," Wallace said.

Police said high school rowers had likely recovered Luongo’s orange lifejacket. "The crew team did find an orange flotation device in the river on Monday. They assumed it had fallen off a boat," said Upper Merion Twp. Police Chief Thomas Nolan. Upper Merion police also responded Monday to a call near the river bank for a report of a man heard screaming. "When the officers went to check on the person screaming, we did not find anyone in the area," Nolan said.

Police and other rescue crews searched the water the following afternoon and into the evening, and were able to recover Loungo's kayak and tackle box near the dam. "I hope they find him. I hope he's on the side of the bank somewhere waiting for help," said friend Tom Jacquot.

Police said they were hopeful a helicopter search would point them in the right direction to conduct additional ground and water searches.

Stranded Boater Rescued from Missouri River

4/30/24 – St Charles Co., MO

A stranded boater was rescued from the Missouri River on the evening of 30 April, with assistance from first responders from four area fire districts.

According to a Facebook post from the Lake St. Louis Fire Protection District, at around 8:30 p.m. they received word of a stranded boat near the Klondike Park Boat Ramp, approximately four miles east of Augusta, Missouri.

Debris from Flood Waters Obstructs Boating

With the Missouri River above minor flood stage, debris along the banks was being picked up by rising river water, making it difficult for boaters to safely navigate or causing them to get stuck.

Crews from the Lake St. Louis, O’Fallon, and Monarch fire protection districts, along with Central County Fire & Rescue, made contact with the boater and dispatched three boats to facilitate a rescue. The stranded boater was picked up, and his boat was towed to safety.

Crews Search for Missing Boater on Lake Houston

4/30/24 – Houston, TX

Authorities were searching for a missing boater around the Lake Houston Dam in Houston, Texas, on 30 April.

Harris County Sheriff's Office (HCSO) officials said they were working with the Houston Fire Department (HFD) on the rescue operation. They said they were able to rescue two people and were looking for a third person who was on a boat that capsized near the Lake Houston Dam.

The two rescued boaters were treated for undisclosed injuries. HFD was leading the investigation, HCSO said.

Deputies Rescue Man Left Stranded After Canoe Sinks

4/27/24 – Okaloosa Co., FL

A man who was left stranded after his canoe sank in Florida’s Blackwater River was located and rescued by Okaloosa County deputies on the night of 27 April.

Deputies, as well as personnel of the Volunteer Fire and Rescue service in Munson, Florida, searched over a mile down the river before locating the man.

The sheriff's office said that the man's canoe had overturned and sank, which left him stranded in a remote area. The man did not suffer any injuries.

Woman Hurt After PWC Collision in Biscayne Bay

5/2/24 – North Bay Village, FL

A woman was taken to the hospital after a crash between two personal watercraft (PWC) in Florida’s Biscayne Bay on the afternoon of 2 May, fire officials said. According to Miami-Dade Fire Rescue, crews responded to the scene southeast of Osprey Island, near North Bay Village, just before 3 p.m.

The victim was rushed to Pelican Harbor Marina, wheeled up the ramp and into a waiting ambulance. She was then taken to Jackson Memorial Hospital’s Ryder Trauma Center. Authorities did not provide any details about her condition.

The other PWC operator was not hurt in the crash. Emergency boats remained in the bay for nearly an hour until the two personal watercraft could be towed away.

Coast Guard Rescues Two Boaters near Texas City, Texas

4/29/24 – Houston, TX

The Coast Guard rescued two people from their overturned vessel near the Texas City Dike, in Galveston Bay, on 29 April.

Coast Guard Sector Houston-Galveston watchstanders received a report from a Texas City Police Department dispatcher at 2 p.m. stating that a vessel had capsized with two people onboard. Watchstanders issued an urgent marine information broadcast and coordinated the launch of a Coast Guard Station Galveston 29-foot Response Boat–Small crew to respond.

Texas City Fire Department personnel located the vessel and directed the Coast Guard crews to its position. At 2:15 p.m., the RB–S crew arrived on scene, embarked the boaters, and safely transferred them to their friend's boat.

The vessel owner was coordinating salvage of the boat.