6-26-13 DARE COUNTY, NC Boat capsizes near Bonner Bridge in NC A 28-y/o man was rescued by the USCG Wed. evening (05-26) after his boat capsized in the Oregon Inlet near the Bonner Bridge in Nags Head. After another boater noticed the man waving his arms on top of his vessel, they contacted the Dare Co. dispatcher who alerted the CG Sector North Carolina watchstanders at 6:15 p.m. North Carolina CG then sent out a crew on a 25-ft. boat from their station at Oregon Inlet. The crew arrived on the scene at 6:30 p.m. and were able to rescue the man from the water. The watchstanders took him back to the Station Oregon Inlet where they were met by emergency medical crews. There were no reported injuries. Read full story here.
06-26-13 LYONS TOWNWHIP, WI Pair rescued after boating accident in fast-moving White River An Elkhorn woman whose kayak overturned in the swollen waters of White River, and a man attempting to aid her were both rescued Wed. afternoon (06-26) in the town of Lyons, according to the Walworth Co. Sheriff’s Office. At 3:52 p.m., Walworth Co. Sheriff’s deputies found Adriane Granlund, 29, of Elkhorn, and Jim McKay, 48, of Lake Villa, Ill., trapped against a large log between the bridges off Sheridan Springs Road in the White River. Lyons Fire and Rescue units were also at the scene. According to the release, Granlund had been kayaking with 3 friends when her kayak overturned and was swept down river. She ended up pinned against the log in the water. McKay came across Granlund while canoeing. He was trying to free her from the log, when his canoe became swamped with water and overturned, leaving the 2 trapped. The release noted both victims were showing signs of distress, and Granlund was developing early onset hypothermia. The 3 other kayakers who had been with Granlund were identified as Kyra Brown, 24, of Elkhorn; Catherine Choyce, 29, of Elkhorn; and Shiloh Graske, 28, of Delavan. Using throw ropes and flotation devices, deputies were able to pull all persons from the river. Granlund was taken to Aurora Burlington Mem. Hosp., but her current status is unknown, according to the release. McKay and the other 3 kayakers were checked out on the shoreline and released. Deputies said the river was swollen because of heavy local rains over the last few days.Read full story here.
06-26-13 BIGHORN RIVER, MT Bighorn River Boating Accident: A Reminder to Be Vigilant on the Water A snagged anchor line and a swift current recently proved to be a dangerous combination for 3 anglers in a drift boat on Montana’s Bighorn River. Herm Elenbaas launched his boat with friends Jim and Ruth Houseman to float and fish one of Elenbaas’ favorite stretches of river on Wed. (06-26). The fishing proved to be slower than usual, so the group elected to drop anchor and concentrate efforts on a particular run. Unfortunately, the water flow was running higher than normal, the anchor dislodged, and the boat moved into the swift current. Hoping to reach calmer waters, Elenbass tried to lift the anchor. That's when trouble washed over the gunwale. “When Herm pulled on the anchor rope, we got water over the back,” Jim said. “Once she got one gulp, she took on water fast.” With the anchor lodged under a rock or submerged tree, and no knife to cut the anchor rope and water rushing over the side, things went from bad to worse in a hurry. Fortunately, some nearby landowners saw the incident and came to the aid of the swimming anglers. Not long after, a father and son in a jet boat motored upstream, cut the anchor of the sunken drift boat, and towed the rig topside. Elenbaas and Jim emptied the water, and even finished their planned float. Ruth elected to remain on dry land. Though all 3 anglers, luckily, walked away without injury, their situation serves as another reminder of a river’s power as we head into the heart of summer. Read full story here.
06-26-13 LAKEVILLE, MA Man injured in Lakeville boating accident A 24-ft. high-speed boat carrying 5 people struck rocks in Long Pond Wed. night (06-26), throwing all the passengers into the water. One passenger suffered minor injuries in the incident, which Lakeville police said happened around 8 p.m. He suffered a leg injury and was transported to Saint Luke's Hosp. in New Bedford. Responding officers also reported that there was extensive damage to the boat. The Massachusetts Environmental Police are investigating the incident. Read full story here.
06-21-13 GILFORD, NH Dracut man charged with drunken boating A Dracut man was charged with boating while intoxicated after a Lake Winnipesaukee crash sent 4 people to the hospital Fri. night (06-21). According to the New Hampshire State Police Marine Patrol, Barry Myers, 50, of Dracut, was operating a 21-ft. Chaparral powerboat that collided with a 26-ft. Formula powerboat in Wentworth Cove on Lake Winnipesaukee shortly before 10:30 p.m. The 2nd boat was operated by Brenda Stowe, 50, of Gilford. Stowe and 3 passengers were transported to Lakes Region Gen. Hosp. Police say their injuries ranged from a fractured arm to possible internal injuries. Myers refused treatment. The passengers in Myers' boat were Chris Dortona, 49, of Revere, and Lawrence Edwards, 49, of Georgetown. The passenger in Stowe's boat was Steven Bauer, 52, of Gilford, N.H. Marine Patrol officers administered first aid until Gilford and Laconia fire boats arrived at the scene. The Marine Patrol's technical boating-accident-reconstruction team is investigating the incident. Read full story here.
06-25-13 MADISON COUNTY, MT Woman rescued from Jefferson River after being pinned by canoe A woman from was rescued from the Jefferson River after being pinned to a pillar beneath a bridge south of Silver Star for several hrs. on Tue. afternoon (06-25). She was pinned by a plastic canoe, and rescued after more than 4 hrs. in the cold water. Chris Mumme, the incident commander, said, "The pressure of the water had her pinned there there was no way of getting gout."
Authorities' say the woman, Kelly Keller, was canoeing with 2 friends on the Jefferson River. Officials suspect they hit they center divide and the plastic canoe folded around the bridge support, trapping the woman's left leg. Responders from Bozeman, Dillon, Whitehall, Sheridan and every surrounding county arrived on the scene. Mumme noted, "Basically we had backup after backup in case plan A didn't work."
The women's 2 male companions stayed by her side until nearly the end of the rescue. Mumme said, "I would say they probably saved her life by sticking with her, making sure her head's above water and she didn't go under." Rescuers were finally able to wedge the canoe out far enough to free her leg. She was immediately airlifted to Bozeman Deaconess Hosp., reportedly suffering from hypothermia, but not suffering any life-threatening injuries. Read full story here.
06-25-13 PACIFICA, CA Shark bites kayak off Pacifica - man safe A shark chomped a kayaker's boat off a Pacifica beach on Tue. (06-25), but the man escaped unharmed. The incident happened off Pacifica State Beach at 4:55 p.m. as the man was fishing, said Pacifica police Capt. Joe Spanheimer. A shark swam up to the fisherman, bit the kayak, then briefly circled around the craft before swimming away, Spanheimer said. The kayaker escaped injury and returned to shore.Read full story here.
06-24-13 STRATHAM, NH Body of missing North Hampton kayaker found in Squamscott River in Stratham Dive teams recovered the body of a kayaker from North Hampton Tue. morning (06-25) after she disappeared while kayaking on the Squamscott River. Fish and Game Lt. Michael Eastman said the body of Ann Colcord was found just before 11:30 a.m. in water about 10 ft. deep in the area near a boat ramp off Chapman's Landing where her capsized kayak was discovered.
Local authorities began the search for Colcord Mon. night (06-24) after she failed to return home.
Boats from the Marine Patrol and others concentrated their search in the area of the launch off Route 108 where Colcord's vehicle was found. Colcord, who Eastman said was in her 60s, was first reported missing to the North Hampton PD around 9 p.m. Mon. when her family became worried. Colcord, who was known to kayak often in the area of Chapman's Landing, was the wife of retired North Hampton fire Lt. Jim Colcord. Eastman said Colcord had been kayaking with a friend earlier on Mon. at Pawtuckaway State Park in Nottingham and at some point arrived at Chapman's Landing to kayak alone. Authorities aren't sure how the accident happened. Eastman said it appears that Colcord either got out of the kayak or fell out and may have been "overcome by the tide or some other natural event." The water temp. was between 60 and 70 degrees when her body was found. The depth of the water in the area where the kayak was found is about 9-12 feet at low tide. It's believed Colcord was likely kayaking at low tide. Eastman said there is nothing to indicate that Colcord suffered from any health problems. While Colcord may have been kayaking around the time strong thunderstorms rolled through the area early Mon. evening, Eastman said he doesn't believe the storms were a factor in the death. The overturned kayak was found about 2/10 mi. from the boat ramp around 1:30 Tue. morning. Eastman said a life preserver was found with the kayak. "Just like seatbelts, they only work when you have them on. It's my understanding that she did have one with her, but it was not on," Eastman said. The tidal water posed some challenges for searchers as the water can become muddy, creating conditions that resemble diving in "chocolate milk," Eastman said. The state medical examiner's office arrived at the scene and is expected to perform an autopsy to confirm the exact cause of death. Eastman said there is nothing to indicate foul play.Read full story here.
The 25-ft. Grady White capsized just before 8 a.m. after a line that had been dropped in the water got caught on a cleat. The current was so strong that the line pulled down the boat, and it flipped over, taking on water. The men had been setting up buoys for the Liberty Challenge, a 15-mi. canoe regatta. Lt. John Rogers and Detective Darin Caputo, who work in the NYPD Counterterrorism Division, said they were patrolling the East River when they heard over the radio that a boat had capsized — and then quickly spotted 3 men clinging to a sinking boat. Caputo, a former Marine diver, brought their boat about 5 ft. away from the Grady White, and brought a 53-y/o Staten Island man, who wasn’t wearing a lifejacket, onto their NYPD boat using a rope. He was very tired,” said Rogers, who also served with the USCG for almost 30 yrs. “He was exhausted, he didn't know how to swim.” They then rescued a 60-y/o New Jersey man. The boaters were heavyset, and Caputo injured his neck and back pulling them out. The Staten Island man thanked the 2 men, and said that they saved his life. Steven Hoek, an FDNY swimmer, coordinated with cops and rescued a 55-y/o New Jersey man. He tethered himself to Marine 6, an FDNY boat, and then pulled him out of the water. “It was a total team effort,” said Hoek. “The current was moving unusually fast. He was very happy to get out of the water. He was trying to swim to the sea wall, but you could see he was tiring.” The 3 were then taken to Pier 17, and EMS brought the 53-y/o to Bellevue Hosp. for treatment of a head injury. The 60-y/o was hospitalized for a leg injury. They were listed in stable condition. Caputo was treated at Lutheran Med. Center for his injuries. Read full story here.
06-25-13 LAKE POWELL, UT Crews recover body of 3rd woman dead in boat crash Authorities say they've recovered the body of a 3rd woman who died after a boat flipped over last week on Lake Powell. Kane Co. deputies say the body of 22-y/o S. Jordan resident Jessica Jackman was found in about 400 ft. of water around noon on Tue. (06-25). She was 1 of 13 people aboard a motorboat driven by her father when it crashed into a houseboat on Thur. morning (06-20) near Dangling Rope Marina. Investigators say it appears the driver was distracted by some children who were on the watercraft. Jackman's mother, 57-y/o Marilyn Jackman, was killed. Jessica Jackman and 29-y/o Valerie Bradshaw initially went missing in the water. Crews who had been searching for the 2 missing women using sonar and a robot found Bradshaw's body Sun. evening (06-23-13). Read full story here.