05-25-13 WILLIAMSTOWN, NY Teenager drowns in Kasoag Lake in Oswego County A 17-y/o is dead after his boat overturned in Kasoag Lake in Oswego Co., Oswego sheriff's deputies said. Around 1:10 a.m., deputies responded to the lake after a reported drowning. Nicholas Curtis Bastable, of Camden, died after his paddle boat overturned on the lake. Bastable was one of 3 occupants on a 2-man paddle boat, deputies said. The 2 other occupants managed to swim to shore without injury.
Bastable could not be located in the water. His body was found at 3:56 a.m. and he was pronounced dead at the scene. An investigation into the incident is ongoing.Read full story here.
05-26-13 JAMAICA BEACH, TX One life jacket on sunken boat, friends make hard choice off Galveston Rescue personnel responded to yet another near-drowning this weekend in the seaside village of Jamaica Beach on W. Galveston Island. Two men set out to fish on Sun. (05-26) from a kayak but before they even got a hook in the water their kayak overturned, dumping them both in the Gulf waters about 350 yds. offshore. Jacob Grant, 27, of Dickinson and Mark Pelc, 23, of Pearland told Galveston Beach Patrol lifeguard Brandon Venegas when their kayak overturned they struggled to keep each other afloat and cling to the boat. However, Grant said the kayak filled with water and disappeared, leaving him without a lifejacket, struggling in the water. Pelc, who was wearing a lifejacket fought furiously to swim Grant to shore but the tide was against him. He went on to shore alone to call for help. "I thought my best friend was dead," an emotional Pelc said. A force of first responders answered the call including Jamaica Beach Fire and Rescue, the Galveston Beach Patrol, Galveston FD and Jamaica Beach Police. Beach Patrol Chief Peter Davis and a Jamaica Beach firefighter rescued Grant from the water in time and took him ashore. Both men were treated for salt water ingestion by Galveston EMS personnel. Read full story here.
05-26-13 GALVESTON, TX Galveston man charged after allegedly fleeing scene of a boat crash that injured two people A Galveston man is charged after allegedly fleeing the scene of a boat crash that injured 2 people. It happened around 9pm Sun. (05-26) just past Seawolf Fishing Pier off of Galveston Island. According to Texas Parks and Wildlife Dept. officials, 28-y/o Dustin Lunsford was operating a motorboat when he collided with a 27-ft. sailboat on its starboard side, knocking a hole in the back quarter of the vessel. Officials said the motorboat sped away after the collision. A man and woman in the sailboat were taken to UTMB Hosp. Officials said the man, 50, had been operating the sailboat. He was thrown into the water by the collision. According to game wardens, he was reported in serious condition over the weekend in the hospital's intensive care unit. The woman, 68, had been standing near the entrance to the cabin at the time of impact and was knocked into the cabin. She pulled the male victim from the water and called 911. She also was hospitalized this weekend, but with less serious injuries. After talking with boat owners at the Galveston Yacht Basin on Mon. (05-27), game wardens located a damaged vessel they believe to be the motorboat that struck the sailboat Sun. night. Lunsford is charged with failing to stop and render aid, a felony punishable by 2-10 yrs. in jail and up to $10,000 in possible fines. Game wardens are continuing to investigate this case, including whether alcohol may have been involved. Meanwhile, game wardens were busy across the state during the Memorial Day weekend, including investigating multiple cases of BWI, a major cause of boating accidents and fatalities.Read full story here.
05-25-13 NEEDLES, CA Colorado River boat crash injures 3 A weekend boat crash on the Colorado River has injured 3 people. It happened late Sat. afternoon (05-25) near Needles, Calif. Jodi Miller of the San Bernardino Co. Sheriff's Dept. says a 21-ft. day cruiser was in choppy, busy waters when the skipper looked back to tell his passengers to change positions because the boat was leaning. Miller says when he turned back around, he couldn't avoid hitting an anchored boat. The crash injured 2 men and a woman on the anchored boat, all from California. Miller says there's no immediate word on their conditions Tue. morning (05-28). Miller says alcohol wasn't believed to be a factor in the crash. Nobody was arrested but the investigation continues. Read full story here.
05-24-13 CHARLESTON, SC DNR provides updates on fatal Memorial Day boat accidents DNR officials have released more information on the 3 accidents that killed 2 and severely injured one boater over Memorial Day weekend. According to DNR spokesperson Robert McCullough, it is still too early to tell if alcohol was involved in any of the accidents. One boater was injured in Hobcaw Creek, Mt. Pleasant. McCullough said the driver of the boat, Brooks Brown, was coming around a bend and struck a big metal buoy that caused his boat to hit the docks and other boats.
Brown is still in a medically induced coma because of a severe head injury, bringing the investigation to a standstill. McCullough said investigators had preliminary conversations with Brown on the scene, but he was not lucid because of the head trauma. They are waiting for blood work to come back to determine whether alcohol was a cause or a contributing factor.
Man killed after jumping from boat into Cooper River. McCullough reports that interviews with other people on the boat indicate 57-y/o Robert Andrews stood up, handed them his personal belongings and told them he was going to jump out of the boat. He jumped and they never saw him again. McCullough said early indications show alcohol was a possible contributing factor but investigators are still waiting for test results.
Boater killed in collision, one more in 'grave condition' McCullough says 2 boats, a 28-ft. Baha (sic) boat carrying 6 people and a 31-ft. Fountain boat with 5 people on board, were coming around a bend in the river in Pinopolis when the crash happened. That's all the information investigators know at this time.
Everyone was taken to the hosp., treated and released except for 27-y/o Robbie Mullinax, who was killed, and the girlfriend of the driver of the Baha boat. McCullough says she is in 'grave condition' at MUSC. McCullough said it's a very fluid situation and too soon to tell who, if anyone, is at fault or what were the contributing factors. They will need test results from boat occupants, need to assess damages of vessels, and need to interview witnesses and boat occupants to complete their investigation. DNR officials will do a reconstruction of the crash in the next couple of weeks to try to determine what caused the wreck and if anyone was at fault.
05-27-13 WRIGHTSVILLE BEACH, NC Boater charged after boat bumps Johnnie Mercer's Pier Wildlife officers charged a boater with operating a watercraft while impaired after his boat bumped Johnnie Mercer's Pier at Wrightsville Beach Mon. (05-27). Investigators say Michael Rushing's 50-ft. boat came too close to shore as he and 2 passengers waved at friends on the beach. Investigators say the boat got caught on a sand bar and stalled the motor. The current then pushed the boat into the pier. The collision did not cause any structural damage to the pier. Read full story here.
05-30-13 MURRELLS INLET, SC Emergency crews respond to Murrells Inlet boat fire The USCG and crews from Murrells Inlet Fire Rescue responded to a reported boat fire just offshore from Murrells Inlet Thur. morning (05-30). The incident was called in around 6:30 a.m. Reports of heavy smoke coming from the boat were called in to crews. The boat made it to land safely. It was experiencing mechanical problems, which was the source of the smoke. Read full story here.
05-29-13 POQUOSON, VA 4 rescued from Back River after sailboat overturns Four people were rescued from the Back River near Poquoson Wed. afternoon (05-29-13) after their sailboat overturned. A Virginia Beach-based USCG crew was conducting a search in the area when they noticed the group waving their arms around 3 p.m. and took them to shore. The 12-ft. sailboat was salvaged by its owner. Read full story here.
05-26-13 OSCODA TOWNSHIP, MI Southfield Teen Dies In Canoe Accident Up North Northern Michigan authorities say a 14-y/o Southfield boy has died in a canoeing accident on the Au Sable River. The accident happened Sun. afternoon (05-26) in Oscoda Township in Iosco Co., about 60 mi. N. of Bay City. Police say Jamil Foster disappeared after his canoe flipped over. They say he was found about 1/2 mi. downstream and was taken to Tawas St. Joseph Hosp., where he was pronounced dead. Police say the boy was vacationing with an aunt and uncle during the Memorial Day weekend. Read full story here.
Although they were able to get to shore on their own, a Breckenridge FD Water Rescue boat retrieved them and their dog. Both suffered minor injuries from debris in the river but refused medical treatment. Neither was wearing a lifejacket, and there weren’t any flotation devices in the canoe. The North Dakota Game and Fish Dept. is investigating the incident.Read full story here.
05-26-13 PEND OREILLE COUNTY, WA Three teens rescued after canoe capsizes in Pend Oreille River Rescuers credited lifejackets for the safe rescue of 3 teenagers after they fell into the Pend Oreille River. It happened around 9 a.m. on Sun. while Nicholas Geoppo, 18, Alexandra Wert, 18, and a 17-y/o girl were canoeing. The Pend Oreille Co. Sheriff’s Office got a call the group had gone over the falls N. of Metaline and all of them were thrown into the water. Rescue crews from the Sheriff’s Office, Boundary Dam, the Public Utility District, and the U.S. Border Patrol responded to the area. About an hr. later, authorities were alerted that all 3 occupants were able to pull themselves out of the water and were safely on shore. The rescue boat from Boundary Dam was able to pick up the canoeists and transported them to waiting medical crews. Geoppo was treated for mild hypothermia and released. The other 2 teenagers declined medical attention. Read full story here.
05-29-13 INDIANAPOLIS, IN Man rescued after kayak overturns A kayaker was rescued from the White River Wed. night (05-29) after his kayak overturned. Indianapolis FD crews were called to the White River shortly before 9:30 p.m. to the report of a person stuck on an island. Crews say 2 kayakers were kayaking in the White River when one somehow turned over. One kayaker was able to swim to shore while the 2nd kayaker made his way to an island that was close to shore. When crews arrived, they were able to extend a ladder over to the island and bring the man safely to shore. He was checked out at the scene and is expected to be OK.Read full story here.
05-30-13 HAVRE DE GRACE, MD Kayak Capsized, 1 Rescued Near Hutchins Park Within 10 min. of receiving word that a kayak capsized at Hutchins Park, the Susquehanna Hose Company had rescued the victim and brought him to safety via rescue boat, Chief Scott Hurst said. A man and woman had been in the kayak when it filled with water around 8:20 p.m. Thur. (05-30) near the city park. Neither one was injured. The woman was able to swim to shore with the assistance of bystanders. First responders arrived to find the man 50-75 ft. from shore, his access obstructed by bulkheads. The Susquehanna Hose Company members pulled him onto their boat and delivered him to shore. According to Hurst, the company's new slip at the city park facilitated the quick response time. Read full story here.
05-27-13 GREENWOOD COUNTY, SC Clinton man dies in jet ski crash at lake A 39-y/o Laurens Co. man died Tue. morning (05-28) from injuries he sustained in a Memorial Day jet-skiing accident on Lake Greenwood. Greenwood Co. Coroner Sonny Cox identified the victim as Jeff Cape, of Clinton. He said Cape died about 7 a.m. Tue. at Greenville Mem. Hospital from the injuries, which he endured Mon. night (05-27). Officials from the South Carolina DNR said the accident occurred just after 8 p.m. Mon. on the Greenwood Co. side of the lake near the north trestle. According to DNR Capt. Robert McCullough, the suspect was riding a jet ski that collided head on with a 21-ft. Tide Water boat, and he suffered internal injuries. He was airlifted to Greenville following the boating incident. McCullough said the victim was traveling with another jet skier at the time of the collision. The incident is still under investigation. Read full story here.
05-26-13 TAVERNIER, FL 14 in the water when 18-foot skiff capsizes Fourteen people wound up in the water Sun. (05-26) when a flats skiff overturned off the Upper Keys during one of the year's busiest holiday weekends for boating. No one was injured in the capsizing around 5 p.m. in Atlantic Ocean waters near Tavernier Creek, said Ensign Peter Bermont, spokesman for USCG Sector Key West. Boaters near the scene and a response boat from CG Station Islamorada pulled the skiff's passengers -- including 5 children -- from the water. "An 18-ft. flats boat is not meant to hold 14 people," Bermont said Tue. (05-28). The boat began taking on water when a bilge pump failed, then overturned. Three good Samaritan vessels reached the scene and helped remove 5 adults from the water. The CG crew collected the other 3 adults and 5 children, all of whom were taken to shore at Harry Harris Park. "When 14 people are in the water, it's a major concern," Bermont said. "The initial notification was that up to 20 people could be involved. A salvor successfully refloated the flats boat. The name of the boat operator was not available Tue. but he reportedly lives in the Tavernier area. No criminal charges were filed and alcohol was not involved. Windy weather with occasional gusts over 20 mph kept many boaters close to shore during the 3-day weekend, said Officer Bobby Dube of the Florida FWC. A sunny Sun. brought a large fleet of vessels to the Sandbar anchoring spot off Islamorada's Whale Harbor Channel but no major problems occurred. "It was pretty busy but most of the tickets were safety violations like not having enough lifejackets," Dube said.
A Miami man was arrested Sun. morning for reckless operation of a PWC in the area.
Two personal watercraft reportedly collided Sun. near Ocean Reef in N. Key Largo when they attempted to jump a boat wake at the same time. No serious injuries were reported.Read full story here.
05-29-13 BRANSON, MO Boater Injured After Falling Overboard on Table Rock Lake A teenager from Georgia is recovering from injuries to his leg, after he fell overboard from a boat on Table Rock Lake. The Missouri Highway Patrol's Water Patrol division says Clark Krimmer, 19, of Kathleen, Georgia, was standing on the rear swim deck of a boat near Moonshine Beach Wed. afternoon (05-29). The boat driver put the boat in gear and Krimmer fell out. The Patrol says his lower leg was hit by the boat propeller. He was taken to a Branson hosp. for treatment. Read full story here.
05-26-13 SAN LUIS OBISPO COUNTY, CA Woman dies after suffering carbon monioxide poisoning at Nacimiento Lake A 23-y/o Salinas woman who was hospitalized Sun. (05-26) for carbon monoxide poisoning while boating on Nacimiento Lake has died. Sandy Valencia was declared legally dead Mon. (05-27), but remained on life support until Thur. (05-30), when an organ donation procedure was completed, according to the San Luis Obispo Co. Sheriff’s Office. Valencia and a man were both hospitalized Sun. after the 4 p.m. incident. The pair had evidently been sitting in the stern of their boat and inhaled exhaust from the engine, sheriff’s spokesman Tony Cipolla said earlier this week. Sheriff’s deputies and Monterey Co. park rangers were flagged down to provide aid. The woman was not breathing, and deputies and rangers performed CPR, Cipolla said. Both victims were taken to Twin Cities Comm. Hosp. in Templeton via ambulance. The man’s name and his condition were not available Thur.Read full story here.
05-30-13 AUBURN, ME 4 people, 2 dogs, stranded in boat on Androscoggin Four people and 2 dogs were rescued from the Androscoggin River in Auburn after the engine in their small boat cut out and the craft got caught above Great Falls. What was supposed to be a moonlit cruise, according to one of the boat’s occupants, turned sour at about 8 p.m. Thur. (05-30) when the engine failed and the boat drifted onto the grates above Great Falls. It took firefighters from Auburn and Lewiston about an hr. to rescue the people and dogs. The Auburn rescue boat eventually pulled the powerless craft away from the falls and to shore. The boat’s owner, Paul Duclos, said he had not used the craft in several years but it seemed sound and they fueled up before setting out on the river. Read full story here.
05-28-13 MISSISSINEWA RESERVOIR, IN Boat capsizes in rough water, dumping 74-year-old The boat was taking on water and the anchor was scooping more into the Jon boat, Indiana conservation officers said. The 74-y/o man moved to bring in the anchor when the 16-ft. boat suddenly capsized about 2 p.m. Tue. (05-28), throwing Byron Blue into the rough waters of the Mississinewa Reservoir. Then it got worse, officers said: Blue grabbed for his lifejacket and the wind snatched it out of reach as the swamped boat was swept away. The Kokomo man swam 75 yds. in the turbulent water, officers said, making it to shore. Indiana DNR conservation officers reported that the boat was recovered and urged all boat occupants to wear their lifejackets at all times. Officers said Blue put in near the Pearson Mill boat ramp.Read full story here.
05-30-13 NASHVILLE, MI Man missing after boat found running, dog aboard The Michigan State Police and Barry Co. Sheriff's Dept. were unable to locate a missing boater after an hours-long search Thur. (05-30). Authorities say Terry Foster, 54, went out on his boat Wed. night (05-29) on Thornapple Lake. According to Foster's son, his boat was found around 6:30 a.m. Thur. spinning in the water with the motor running. His dog was still on the boat. Dive teams spent the morning and afternoon searching the water. Read full story here.
05-25-13 EL DORADO COUNTY, CA Boat Overturns at Lake Tahoe; 9 People Rescued The El Dorado Co. Sheriff's Office says 9 people had to be rescued Sat. (05-25) after their boat took on water near Dollar Point in Lake Tahoe. Sheriff's deputies say they found 6 people in the water clinging to the hull of the overturned boat around 2pm. The sailboat that had made the distress call rescued 3 victims from the water, but struggled against heavy winds with the remaining victims.
Sheriff's deputies eventually pulled 2 victims from the water, while the USCG pulled the remaining 4 victims into a CG boat. All victims were transported to the Public Utility Dock on the N. shore of Lake Tahoe, where awaiting paramedics transported them to a hosp. for hypothermia. Read full story here.
05-28-13 GREENFIELD, MO Water Patrol searches Stockton Lake for missing boater The Missouri Water Patrol searched Stockton Lake on Thur. (05-30) for a man who disappeared after going out in his boat on Tue. (05-28). No one has reported seeing Greg Coon since Tue. morning just before he put his boat on the lake at a loading ramp at the Greenfield recreational area. Coon's wife reported him missing in the evening when he didn't come home. Water Patrol officers found Coon's boat near the Highway CC bridge. The patrol used sonar equipment in its search. Read full story here.
05-28-13 BROADALBIN, NY Bodies of father, son fishermen found in NY lake Authorities say 2 bodies found in an upstate New York lake are those of a father and son who went missing on a fishing trip earlier this month. The Fulton Co. Sheriff's Office tells local media outlets the bodies of 51-y/o Mark Richards and 24-y/o Brent Richards, both of Broadalbin, were found Tue. (05-28). They'd gone fishing in a small boat on the Great Sacandaga Lake on May 18. An initial search for the men was called off after 4 days. One of the bodies was found near the boat launch they used.
Broadalbin is on the southern edge of the Adirondack Park 35 mi. NW of Albany. Autopsies will determine how the men died. Officials say they believe their boat capsized, throwing them into cold water. Read full story here.