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Boating Accident News 11/30/2012

By Kristy Moore posted 11-30-2012 04:08 PM

  
11-26-12 KEY BISCAYNE, FL Man clings to cooler after boat capsizes wsvn.com (11-26-12) A South Florida man is recovering after the boat he was fishing in flipped over. Key Biscayne Fire Rescue and Miami Fire Rescue responded to the near-drowning Mon. morning (11-26). Police said the man and his brother were out fishing Sun. night (11-25) when a large wave capsized their 12-ft. boat. The man's brother managed to safely swim to shore. "One of the brothers came up to shore and that's where he gave us more information as to where we could find the other brother," said Key Biscayne Fire Rescue Chief Marcos Osorio. The man, however, spent 7 hrs. clinging to the top of a cooler before rescuers reached him. "This gentleman, we came on scene and this was the only thing that he was holding on to," said USCG Lt. Commander Joseph Abeyta. "He probably weighs about 220 pounds and unfortunately he was unable to get to his life jacket when the vessel capsized." The man is identified by his girlfriend only as George. She described the ordeal that almost took his life. "He said he was out on the boat and the wake was too big and it basically capsized the boat and he said it happened too fast, he wasn't able to do anything," said Vanessa Florido. Florido said her boyfriend is expected to be OK. "He's fine, he's just really cold right now from being in the water too long," she said. Rescue crews transported both brothers to Mercy Hosp. where they are recovering. Read full story here.
 
11-24-12 BAY RIDGE, MD Fire destroys one boat, damages two others capitalgazette.com (11-26-12)
One boat was destroyed and another 2 were damaged during a fire at the Bay Ridge Improvement Association's marina Sat. afternoon. (11-24). The fire happened about 5:40 p.m., said Capt. Mike Pfaltzgraff, a spokesman for the county FD. All of the boats were about 20 ft. in length. Fire officials are investigating the cause of the blaze. An estimate of damage wasn't immediately available. Read full story here.
 
11-28-12 COEUR D’ALENE, ID Man dies from hypothermia after boat capsizes during duck hunt
krem.com (11-29-12) One man has died following a boat accident on a small Kootenai Co. lake Wed. afternoon (11-28-12). Dwayne Knapton, 52, from Osburn died from hypothermic injuries. He and his duck hunting partner, 51-y/o Michael Jensen of Pinehurst, both fell into the water after their boat capsized around 1 p.m. Wed. in Medicine Lake. They were retrieving a downed duck when one of them shifted their weight, causing the boat to tip and take on water. Eventually it capsized. A passerby on Highway 3 saw the 2 men hanging on to their 10-ft. boat that was under the water. The passerby called 911 and flagged down a Fish and Game officer.  Officers pulled the 2 men out of the water after launching a rescue boat. The 2 men had lifejackets on board the boat, but were not wearing them when the boat capsized. Medstar Air Ambulance took Knapton to Kootenai Health, but medical personnel were unable to save him. Jensen was treated at the scene for hypothermia and released. They had been in the water for an estimated 30-45 min. prior to being rescued.  The water temperature was about 40 degrees. Read full story here.
 
11-27-12 ASTORIA, OR Coast Guard rescues small boat at jetty on north Oregon coast oregonlive.com (11-17-12) The USCG says one of its boats managed to take a disabled 15-ft. skiff in tow and keep it from smashing against the rocks of a jetty on the N. Oregon coast. The skiff's 2 crew members were able to navigate the breakwater on foot and make it safely to shore on Tue. (11-27). CG spokesman Nathan Bradshaw says his agency sent a helicopter and 2 boats to the scene. The helicopter found the 2 crew members working to keep the small craft from being dashed against the rocks due to the incoming surf. The skiff was eventually towed to the Hammond Marina. Read full story here.
 
11-29-12 OLDHAM COUNTY, KY Yacht fire injures one in Oldham County courier-journal.com (11-29-12) A yacht exploded Thur. (11-29) at an Ohio River marina in Oldham Co., injuring one person. The victim, who was among 4 people on a 41-ft. Carver cruiser, sustained a severe leg injury, said Major Don Dahl, assistant chief of the N. Oldham FD. Dahl declined to release the name of the victim or any of the people on board. The FD received the call around 1:40 p.m. The boat’s owner, his wife and 2 other occupants were returning to their boat slip at the Rose Island YC in Prospect after just having refueled the boat. The explosion occurred after the boat stalled and the driver tried to start the engine again. The cause is still under investigation, but officials believe the explosion may have been caused by fuel vapors. The operator managed to dock the boat and everyone aboard was able to escape. Crews had to work the fire for about 15 min. before they could reach the injured person, who was at the far end of a dock blocked by heavy flames and smoke. “The boat was totally destroyed, but the upside is there were only 2 other boats that sustained very minor damage and there were about 150 boats in the marina,” Dahl said. The Harrods Creek FD also assisted in fighting the blaze. Crews were on the scene until about 4:30 p.m. Read full story here.
 
11-26-12 CHESAPEAKE, VA Chesapeake man claims barge ran over his boat hamptonroads.com (11-29-12) While trout fishing Mon. morning (11-26)) on the Southern Branch of the Elizabeth River, James Phelps said he turned around to see a wall of water and steel. A 120-ft. barge carrying construction debris was coming right at his 17-ft. skiff. "It was wide and high. All I could really see was the barge," recalled the 77-y/o retiree, who found himself in the water a moment later after his boat sank beneath him. "It was cold, you know.... I thought I was going to die." The incident, reported about 8:45 a.m. near the High-Rise Bridge, is under investigation by the Virginia Marine Police and the USCG, according to John Bull, a spokesman. Bull said Phelps was pulled from the water by a boater along with the help of the Albert Pike - the tugboat tasked with maneuvering the barge. While happy to be wrapped in a blanket, Phelps declined a ride to a hosp. So far, police have not found Phelps' 17-ft. Maycraft. "We presume it sank," said Bull, adding that the Norfolk and Chesapeake PDs are helping with the search. He said police boats with side-scan sonar patrolled the area where Phelps was pulled from the water. No charges have been filed. Until they find the boat, investigators aren't ready to say there was a collision. Bull said the Good Samaritan who helped Phelps out of the water confirmed Phelps' version of events, but the crew of the Albert Pike does not believe the barge hit anything. Bull said it was too early to say who had the right-of-way. During an interview, Phelps said he received no warning from the tugboat. "I didn't hear a horn," said Phelps, a retired Navy petty officer 1st class who worked as a mechanic at the Portsmouth Naval Med. Center before retiring for good. He said he did not have time to start his engine and get out of the way of the barge's wake. "The wave just filled my boat up, and it went down," he said. "I couldn't do anything about it." The Albert Pike is owned by Skanska USA Civil Southeast Inc., according to a CG database. Read full story here.
 
11-27-12 ROCKWOOD, MI Father, Son Rescued After Boat Capsizes In River monroenews.com (11-28-12) Two men — a father and son — were rescued after their 12-ft. aluminum boat with an outboard motor capsized in the Huron River Tue. afternoon (11-27) The incident occurred about 4 p.m. near a bend in the river at N. Huron River Dr. and Olmstead Rd. When Rockwood VFD firefighters arrived, the men who were fishing in the vessel were already sitting on the bank, Rockwood fire Chief Dan Mercure Sr. said. “They were cold from being in the water,” Chief Mercure said. “We got the boat and the people up from the bank.” The 2 men were taken to Oakwood Southshore Med. Center, Trenton, where they were treated for possible hypothermia. S.Rockwood police also assisted at the scene. Firefighters from Berlin Township Vol. Fire District No. 2 and the Flat Rock FD also were called, but later canceled when the Rockwood firefighters arrived at the scene. Read full story here.
 
11-18-12 EMERALD ISLE, NC Stranded kayakers assisted by Coast Guard near Emerald Isle 2.wnct.com (11-19-12) Chilly waters and no lifejackets. A dangerous combination that almost turned tragic. USCG officials have a stern warning for anyone who wants to head out on the water just one day after a double rescue. Members of Emerald Isle's CG station rescued 2 people Sun. morning (11-18) after their kayak capsized in a marsh near Bear Island. The water temperature was around 58 degrees Sun. After just 10 min. in the chilly water, the kayakers were already showing signs of mild hypothermia. CG Petty Officer Matt Kinsman  says anyone planning on taking any sort of vessel out in open water should be aware that conditions can change very quickly. Especially this time of year. "About an hr. after we got them back, NOAA kicked up their advisory to a gale force winds advisory. When we got them it was simply a small craft advisory. So had we not been able to get them, they would have been stuck out there. And the winds were 10 kts. faster and the temperatures dropped about 10 degrees." Kinsman says the 2 kayakers were not wearing lifejackets. Read full story here.


#Kentucky #Michigan #Hypothermia #Fires #Oregon #NorthCarolina #Searchandrescueoperations #Barges #Virginia #Capsizing #Coast Guard #Yachts #Florida #Maryland #Idaho
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