Blogs

07-04-13 CRYSTAL LAKE, MI Perrinton man injured in boating accident on Crystal Lake An 18-y/o Perrinton man was pulled from Crystal Lake following a boating accident around noon Thur. (07-04). Montcalm Co. sheriff’s deputies said the man had fallen from his boat and was unconscious. “A number of bystanders had assisted in pulling the man from the water and then initiated CPR,” a written statement from the Montcalm Sheriff’s Office stated. “Among those assisting included a nurse practitioner and a person with lifeguard training.” The man was taken to Carson City Hosp.  and later flown to a Spectrum Hosp. location in Grand Rapids. The man’s name was not released and no updated information on his condition was available as of Thur. evening. http://www.themorningsun.com/article/20130704/NEWS01/130709833/perrinton-man-injured-in-boating-accident-on-crystal-lake

07-05-13 TRAVIS COUNTY, TX Woman injured in boating accident kvue.com (07-05-13) A woman was injured Fri. afternoon (07-05) when she was hit by a boat propeller. The Travis Co. Sheriff's office says a man was driving a boat toward the shore at Starnes Island on Lake Travis and didn't see a woman swimming in the water. The boat's propeller cut her legs and backside. EMS took the woman with serious traumatic injuries to University Med. Center Brackenridge. A lieutenant with the sheriff's office says EMS expects the woman to survive. Sheriff's deputies say no charges will be filed. Read full story here.

07-04-13 NEWBURYPORT, MA 6 rescued from boat after collision with jetty Six boaters were rescued after hitting the South Jetty, thanks to quick action by the Newburyport Harbormaster dept. The rescue happened around 10 p.m. Thur. (07-04), after a fireworks display on Salisbury Beach. The 23-ft. Chaparral boat, holding 4 adults and 2 children, rammed into the end of the jetty at a speed great enough to lodge the boat hard on the jetty's rocks. An emergency call went out, and a harbormaster vessel happened to be patrolling in the vicinity, said Newburyport Harbormaster Paul Hogg. The rescue boat arrived shortly after the accident, and found that no one had been injured -- which in itself was a stroke of good fortune, as it is common for boaters to be injured or ejected from a boat when it strikes rocks and abruptly stops. "I can't believe that no one got discharged out of the boat," said Hogg. "I don't think the boat was going full bore when it hit the jetty." Hogg said the boat's passengers were transported to Salisbury beach State Reservation, located a few hundred yds. from where the accident occurred. There they were checked out by awaiting Salisbury rescue personnel. According to the Salisbury Fire Dept., no one was injured. The names of the boaters were not released, nor were their hometown address available. "They seemed to be in a little bit of shock from the accident, but not hurt," said Hogg. Read full story here.

07-05-13 PORTLAND, ME Boat explodes and catches fire off Portland's East End Beach Portland fire investigators are trying to determine what caused an explosion that sparked a fire on a pleasure boat earlier Fri. (07-05). The explosion erupted on a 20-ft. boat shortly before noon. The owner, who has not been identified, was able to escape with only minor burns. Fire officials say the man had just opened the boat's engine compartment -- when it exploded. Witnesses say the man jumped into Casco Bay to escape the roaring flames. When firefighters arrived the motor boat was completely engulfed in flames. Fire officials say minutes before; the boat's owner had removed the engine cover of the boat and was looking into the engine compartment when it erupted. Witnesses say the man jumped into the water to escape the fire, but was able to climb up and walk away from the dock. He had wet towels wrapped around his head and was able to talk to fire investigators before he was transported to Maine Med. Center. People who saw what happened say it's hard to believe the owner escaped with his life.  'I heard the boom and it literally shook everything and I look down and there is black, flames, smoke everywhere and I see the guy jump in the water, and then his wife started screaming are you alright and he started screaming I'm alright,' said Bob Tuttle, who saw what happened.  Fire officials say the explosion may be the result of gasoline fumes that were ignited by something, possibly equip. that was already running on the boat. The man suffered injuries to his face, arms, hands and legs, but the severity of those burns is not known. Read full story here. 

07-04-13 STORM LAKE, IA Man missing after boat capsized on Storm Lake Diving recovery efforts have been suspended in the search for a Ireton man who went missing after his boat capsized on Storm Lake on Thur. (07-04), according to a Buena Vista Co. Sheriff’s Office news release. Jaime Adan Jaime-Vazquez, 28, went missing after his boat capsized on Storm Lake around 4 p.m. Thur. Jaime-Vazquez was reportedly not wearing a life vest when he went into the water. Abel Almamza Troncoso, 36, of Granville, was also on the boat when it capsized. Another boat rescued Troncoso. The Buena Vista Co. Sheriff’s Office, Iowa DNR, Storm Lake Fire Dept., Storm Lake Police Dept., Buena Vista Regional Med.Center Paramedics, Plymouth Co. Dive Team, Sioux Co. Dive Team and the Denison Fire Dept. Divers have all been involved in the search efforts. High winds and rough water conditions caused diving recovery efforts to be suspended at 1:30 p.m. Fri. Read full story here. 

07-04-13 OKLAHOMA CITY, OK Body Recovered From Fourth of July Boat Crash The body of an Oklahoma City man missing since a July 4th hit-and-run boating accident was recovered Sat.  evening (07-06). Investigators with the Oklahoma Highway Patrol have identified the suspect involved in the accident. The suspect was expected to turn himself in to authorities on Mon. Authorities said they recovered the body of Gary McIninch, 55, in 17 ft. of water approximately 400 yds. from the shore line at Lake Eufaula in McIntosh Co. The body was found roughly a MI. E of Eufaula Cove, where McIninch had gone missing. A 2002 Crest Pontoon and a 1996 Stingray were anchored together when a ski boat crashed into the pontoon around 10 p.m. one MI. E of Eufaula Cove. Oklahoma Highway Patrol troopers say the pontoon, holding 10 people, landed on top of the Stingray. McIninch was thrown off the boat following the crash and has been missing since then. Two children and another man were injured. The driver of the ski boat stopped to check on the boaters, but as crews searched for the missing man, the driver took off. The ski boat was described as white and dark colored, about 20-ft. long. Read full story here. 

07-05-13 GARDNER, ME Two Oakland women injured in Gardiner boat explosion Two Oakland women were injured Fri. morning (07-05) in an explosion aboard a boat in the Kennebec River that left the flaming craft floating on the tide before running aground in Pittston. Firefighters used foam to suppress the stubborn gasoline fire, which kept re-igniting. All 4people — 2 married couples — aboard the 23-ft. Wellcraft open boat jumped into the river after the explosion and were picked up by another boater. The injured women, Vickie Massey and Liliane Davidson, were taken by ambulance to Maine General Med. Center in Augusta where they were treated and released. Sgt. Ken Grimes, of the State Fire Marshal's Office, said earlier it appeared their injuries were not life-threatening. Also aboard were their husbands, Jeffrey Massey and Howard Davidson. Grimes said the boat is owned by the Masseys, who live in Oakland, and had been in the water several times this season. The women were sitting in the back of the boat on either side of the engine compartment and the men were in the front of the boat. They had planned to cruise to Boothbay Harbor. Grimes described the incident as a fuel vapor explosion, which occurred about 9:30 a.m. just off the Gardiner boat landing. Mike Cleary, of Waterville, had just finished helping his father launch a large houseboat and was tying the lines to the Gardiner dock when he saw the other boat in the middle of the river. "I heard a pop, and pieces of the guy's boat were dropping in the water," Clearly said. "I knew it wasn't fireworks. Then a 2nd explosion blew the hatch off and ignited a big fire." Finally he saw a man push a woman off the boat into the river, and he knew rescue was needed. "I'm a captain, so I have training when there are men overboard," he said. Knowing his father's boat would be too slow, Cleary sprinted toward a fast boat that had just been launched and was tied to the dock. "I told the guy, 'Sorry, I'm going to save those people,'" Cleary said. The boater started the engine and they headed out. Terry Malloy, of Augusta, who was fishing near the landing for stripers at that time, said the people had launched the boat and drifted out into the channel. "I heard a loud bang and explosion and heard everybody hollering, 'Get off the boat! Get off the boat!'" Malloy said. He called 911 for help, and then watched as the flaming boat headed south, downriver, and drifted ashore in Pittston just beyond the Randolph town line. Cleary yelled for the people to get off the boat, and then to swim away from it because they were clinging to it in the water. Two men in a fishing boat tossed life preservers to the swimmers. One lady was really thankful, because she couldn't swim. The 2 women suffered burns, and the rescuers put some ice on them. Marine Patrol Sgt. Rene Cloutier said the fire could have originated when some gasoline ended up in the bilge during fueling and was ignited by a spark from starting the engine. Ventilating the bilge by either running a blower fan or by opening the compartment is the usual safety precaution. "Be sure it's well ventilated," Cloutier said. Firefighters from Randolph and Pittston used foam through hoses to put out the blaze on the fiberglass boat. Read full story here. 

07-04-13 YUMA COUNTY, AZ Two hospitalized after boat collision Two people were transported to the hosp. Fri. evening (07-04) after being involved in a boat collision on the Colorado River near Squaw Lake. The incident happened at about 7 p.m. when 2 boats carrying a total of about 7 people collided. Emergency personnel with the Yuma Proving Ground Fire Dept. responded to the incident and provided first aid to the occupants of the boat. Two boaters, whose identities have not been released to the public, were transported to Yuma Regional Med. Center with non-life threatening injuries. At least 5 other people refused to be transported. Since the incident happened on the Arizona side of the Colorado River, the Yuma Co. Sheriff's Office is investigating the incident. Read full story here.

07-04-13 SAN PEDRO, CA Boat sinks at Cabrillo Marina in San Pedro A 1960s-era 30-ft. power boat sunk after taking on water while moored at the Cabrillo Marina in San Pedro, a Los Angeles Fire Dept. spokeswoman said Fri.  The boat began taking on water shortly after 10 p.m. Thur. (07-04)while anchored at 201 E. 22nd St., said dept. spokeswoman Katherine Main. Fire dept. boats responded and crews tried to pump out the water, but the volume of incoming water eventually overwhelmed the pumps and the boat sank. Contaminants from the boat were boomed and contained by the fire dept., USCG and the Los Angeles Port police. No injuries were reported. The cause of the leak was not immediately determined. Read full story here. 

07-04-13 TOMS RIVER, NJ State Police rescue 7 after their boat flips in the Toms River State Police rescued 6 adults and 1 child after the 18-ft. boat they were in flipped in the Toms River. The 11-y/o child was wearing a personal floatation device, but several of those rescued around 9:50 p.m. Thur. (07-04) could not swim. The group had been watching fireworks, but when the show ended and all the boats began to leave the area, a wake hit the vessel and caused it to overturn, Sgt. Adam Grossman said. All 7 people who had been aboard went into the water, but within less than a minute, State Police Sgt. Ken Ryan and Troopers Dale Pearce, Chris Woehr and James Matier pulled them out of the river. Those troopers were from the State Police Marine Services Bureau and were in the area to help with boat traffic. The boat was towed to the Island Heights Yacht Club. The hometowns of those rescued were not available, but according to police, rescued were: Nichlaus West, 33, Howard Butler, 29, Samantha Canary, 22, Kari Moore, 27, Mario Sanchez, 40, Angela Brocklebank, 34, and an 11-y/o child. Read full story here. 

07-04-13 CAROLINA BEACH, NC Four people safe after boat runs aground off Carolina Beach New Hanover Co. Dispatch says all the people aboard a boat that ran aground off Carolina Beach  Thur. (07-04) are safe and back on land. Dispatch says there were 4 people on the boat that hit a sandbar. No injuries were reported. The USCG and New Hanover Co. Sheriff's Office responded to the report of the boat taking on water the north end of Carolina Beach. Sheriff's Office spokesman Sgt. Jerry Brewer said the incident involved a 23-ft. boat. Dispatch says SeaTow is handling getting the boat back to shore. Read full story here. 

07-05-13 KAW LAKE, OK Enid man dies when boat capsizes on Kaw Lake An Enid man died in a boating accident on Kaw Lake in Kay Co. on Fri. afternoon (07-05), the Oklahoma Highway Patrol reported. Billy Joe Ging, 70, was in a boat on Kaw Lake about 150 yds. W and 200 yds. S of Bear Creek Cove when it capsized for an unknown reason about 3:15 p.m., the OHP reported. Ging, who had been on his way to tow his grandson's boat to shore, died in about 5 ft. of water. A personal floatation device was wrapped around his right arm, troopers said. The Medical Examiner's Office had not determined Ging's cause of death as of late Fri. Read full story here. 

07-04-13 ASHEVILLE, NC Lexington man goes missing after being swept from kayak in North Carolina Emergency crews are searching for a Lexington man who went missing while kayaking in NC. Emergency management leaders in Haywood Co., near Asheville, say the man was with a group of 7 people Thur. (07-04), when he was swept out of his kayak. Rescue crews later found the kayak, and some other equipment, but no sign of the man. The man's name has not been released, because emergency crews are still trying to contact his family. Emergency crews say heavy rain and high water have been slowing down their search efforts. Read full story here. 

07-02-13 NANTUCKET, MA While search intensified, missing kayakers safe As a massive search for 2 missing kayakers in Nantucket Harbor got underway Tue. afternoon (07-02), the 2 men public-safety agencies were looking for were already out of the water and back at home, oblivious to the ongoing search. Joshua Norton and Mark Degan were kayaking off Pocomo Tue. afternoon when the wake of a passing boat tossed them from a small two-seat kayak, according to police Lt. Jerry Adams. Unable to get back into the kayak, the 2 men spent more than an hr. in the water before they were picked up by a passing sailboat and returned to shore.  But a work crew on the beach at Pocomo had spotted 1 of the men waving his arms in the water about 700 yds. offshore and reported the sighting to police around 4:30 p.m., a call that prompted a large-scale search by public-safety agencies. A USCG Jayhawk helicopter from Cape Cod was scrambled to join the search and circled over the harbor for several hrs. Tue .evening as the Marine Dept., Environmental Police and CG Station Brant Point scoured the waters. On land, Nantucket police officers, town lifeguards and CG members walked the harbor beaches searching for the missing kayakers.  It wasn’t until 9 p.m. Tue. night, when a friend contacted Norton and told him that photos of his red kayak were being posted on the Internet and a large search was underway for its owner, that he called police and the CG to report that he was fine. “They didn’t realize people were looking for them,” Adams said. The sailboat that picked up the 2 men was being operated by Mark and Dominique Sutherland.  The red kayak, along with 2 paddles and a cooler, washed up on the beach along the west side of Pocomo Point, and were later taken from the scene by police. The Trustees of Reservations and Tow Boat U.S. also took part in the search for the 2 men. Read full story here. 

07-05-13 UTAH LAKE, UT Fourteen boaters rescued from Utah Lake after thunderstorm Fourteen people were rescued from Utah Lake after a severe thunderstorm Fri. night (07-05). According to the Utah Co. Sheriff’s Office, dispatchers received a distress call at 6:11 p.m. from 2 boats on the south end of Utah Lake, about ¼ MI. E of the Lincoln Beach Marina. The first boat, which had 9 adults and children, got into trouble when a rope got tangled around the propeller. The 5people in a nearby boat tried to help but started taking on water in the process. The children from the 1st boat were moved to the 2nd boat, and then adults walked it to the shore. The water was only 3 to 4 ft. deep. A Utah Lake State Park officer and the sheriff’s search and rescue squad responded and got the remaining people to shore. Some of the people experienced mild hypothermia and had scrapes but were otherwise fine. There were no major injuries. All of them had life jackets, although not all the adults were wearing them. The state park boat towed the first boat to a nearby marina. It was almost completely submerged and had to be drained before being pulled out of the water. At the time of the incident a severe thunderstorm warning was in effect. Read full story here. 

07-05-13 UTAH LAKE, UT Boy suffers leg injuries after propellor accident near American Fork harbor An 11-y/oboy from St. George was injured in a boating accident Fri. afternoon (07-05) at Utah Lake. According to Sgt. Spencer Cannon with the Utah Co. Sheriff’s Office, the boy was with family near the American Fork boat harbor and had gotten in the water, but the family didn’t realize he was still in the water when they started the boat. The boy’s legs were hit by the propeller and were both cut. The boy’s injuries did not appear to be life threatening and he was conscious and breathing when he was transported to American Fork Hosp. No drugs or alcohol appeared to be involved. Read full story here. 

07-04-13 CEDAR LAKE, MN Jet ski driver injured Thursday A woman who was operating a jet ski that caught fire when it was turned on was taken to Riverwood Hosp, Aitkin Co. Sheriff Scott Turner said Fri. The incident happened on Cedar Lake near Aitkin Thur. (07-04). Turner, who said he did not have the woman’s name, said it didn’t sound like the injuries were serious. The sheriff said a dock started on fire when the watercraft was nearby. Bill Anderson of Baxter, who witnessed the accident, said a dock and canopy were destroyed by the blaze. Read full story here. 

07-04-13 LAKE RATHBUN. IA One injured in Rathbun jet ski crash A Kansas man was injured Thur. evening (07-04), when he lost control of his jet ski on Lake Rathbun. Scott Flanary, 35, of Wichita was operating the water craft near the Southfork area of the lake, when he lost control of his Yamaha jet ski and struck his head. Flanary fell off the Jet Ski and into the water. Family and friends immediately removed Flanary from the water and transferred him to a boat. Flanary was taken to awaiting emergency personnel at a nearby boat ramp. He was airlifted to a Des Moines area hosp. in stable condition. Read full story here. 

07-05-13 CORINTH, NY Three rescued above Corinth dam after personal watercraft incidents The width of a braided rope might have been the difference between life and death Fri. afternoon (07-05) as rescuers plucked 3 people from the Hudson River following a personal watercraft accident. Corinth firefighters responded to Densmore Memorial Bridge at about 3:30 p.m. and found a teenage girl clinging to the safety rope just above Corinth dam. The girl, whose identity was not immediately available from police or emergency responders, was being towed by a male relative on a personal watercraft when her Boogie Board flipped and the strong current swept her into the safety rope. An older man on a 2nd personal watercraft was hung up in the ropes and couldn’t move either, Corinth Fire Chief Andy Kelly said. Corinth Fire Dept’s water rescue boat floundered in the current. “They came within ft. of her, and she kept crying ‘help me, help me,’ but the current was so strong there was nothing they could do,” said local resident Donna Feulman, who witnessed the girl’s ordeal and called 91. That’s when the older man, possibly a relative of the stranded girl, volunteered to take emergency divers out to her. Neither fire officials nor the Saratoga Co. Sheriff’s Office were immediately able to identify either man. Divers were able to secure a harness and line on the girl, leading to her eventual rescue. But the rescuing “civilian” personal watercraft then flipped, throwing that man into the water, where he was left clinging to the safety rope, while the original personal watercraft pilot remained stranded on his craft. South Glens Falls Fire Dept. and West Glens Falls Fire Dept. water rescue teams soon responded with additional boats and divers. The man clung to the downstream side of the safety rope for several minutes as emergency boats tried to reach him. Within 45 mi. of when the girl first plunged into the rain-swelled waters, all 3 were on the shore and safe. The older man was taken to Saratoga Hosp.  as a precautionary measure because of past cardiac issues. Read full story here. 

07-04-13 MIAMI LAKES, FL Man drowns after falling from personal watercraft Police say a man drowned after falling from a personal watercraft in a Miami lake. The man drowned around 7 p.m. on the Thur. (07-04). Witnesses told Miami-Dade police that the man tried to swim after the watercraft, but was unsuccessful. Miami-Dade Fire Rescue divers went into the water to rescue the man. Investigators say the man wasn't wearing a lifejacket. Read full story here. 

07-05-13 KINGSTON, MA Motor-boat strikes a kayak and paddle-boat in Kingston causing injuries A kayaker and two paddle-boaters were injured Friday when they were struck by a motor boat allegedly driven by an intoxicated man in Kingston. Members of state, Co. and local agencies responded to Smelt Pond just before 5:30 p.m. for the accident, according to Kingston Police Sergeant Zachary Potrykus. Upon arrival, authorities determined that the motor boat, driven by Joseph Carroll, 37, of Florida, struck and capsized a kayak and a 2-person paddle-boat, and barely missed a canoe. State environmental police arrested Carroll charged him with driving a boat under the influence of alcohol causing serious injury and unsafe operation of a boat. Police said the 41-y/o man in the kayak suffered a non-life-threatening, but serious, head injury, and the 2 women in the paddle-boat, who were in their mid-twenties, suffered minor injuries. The man and one of the women were transported to Jordan Hosp. Carroll is to be arraigned Mon. morning in Plymouth Co. District Court. The incident remains under investigation. Read full story here. 

07-06-13 GALVESTON, TX Coast Guard rescues injured woman from boat 15 miles off coast of Galveston The USCG rescued a 54-y/o woman Sat. morning (07-06) after she fell aboard a boat about 15 mi. off the coast of Galveston. The woman fell and injured her back while riding on a 29-ft. pleasure craft. The captain of the boat called CG Sector Houston-Galveston watchstanders around 8:15am to report the woman's condition and ask for help. Watchstanders launched a boat crew from Station Galveston and airlifted the woman back to the station for medical attention. Read full story here. 

07-05-13 EL DORADO LAKE, KS Wichita man drowned retrieving boat at El Dorado Lake A 29-y/o Wichita man has drowned while trying to retrieve a boat at El Dorado Lake. Butler Co. Sheriff Kelly Herzet says a dive team used sonar equipment to find the body of Oscar Rodriguez Vargas about 6:30 p.m. Fri. (07-05). The man’s body was found about 100 ft. from the shore in water almost 20 ft. deep. Vargas apparently stepped off an underwater ledge into deep water when he went to retrieve a boat that had drifted from the shore. Vargas wasn’t wearing a life jacket and apparently couldn’t swim well. He never made it to the boat. Read full story here. 

07-07-13 LAKE MINNETONKA, MN Boat collision on Lake Minnetonka sends toddler into water A Sun.  morning (07-07) collision between 2 boats on Lake Minnetonka tossed a toddler overboard and injured another child. A runabout and a pontoon boat, both approximately 22 ft. long and traveling in the same direction, collided about 10 a.m. when they were 200 yds. from shore on Wayzata Bay, said Lisa Kiava of the Hennepin Co. Sheriff’s Office. A 2-y/o boy wearing a life jacket was thrown into the water, but his father was able to pull him back into the boat. A 7-y/o on the other boat suffered a minor head injury. A woman suffered a cut foot. The runabout had 4 people on board and there were 5 people on the pontoon boat. The pontoon boat sustained damage to its fiberglass. Both boats returned to the dock.  Wayzata Fire and the Sheriff’s Office responded to the collision. The Sheriff’s Office is investigating. Read full story here. 

07-074-13 MAUMEE RIVER, OH Fire claims boat in Maumee River Two people were rescued from the Maumee River Sun. afternoon (07-07)  after their boat caught fire near Grassy Island. The USCG responded to a call just after 3:15 p.m. of a boat fire on the river, as did the Toledo Fire Dept, which put out the fire. A spokesman at the Toledo office said 2people on the boat were brought safely to shore. The fire in the 18½-foot pleasure craft started in the engine compartment and destroyed the boat. A CG official at the Toledo station said the 2 passengers beached the boat at Grassy Island and got themselves on land. Read full story here. 

07-07-13 LAKE ALLATOONA, GA Georgia DNR investigating Lake Allatoona boating fatality A GA man died after he was run over by his own boat. The accident was near Allatoona Landing on Lake Allatoona Sun. (07-07). The GA DNR said the victim is Robert Lewis, 52, of Dallas, GA. DNR said the victim fell out of his boat, and the throttle was still on so the boat started circling around the lake. Both DNR and witnesses said it was when the victim tried to get back in the boat that things went terribly wrong. Barry Williams was fishing when he saw the boat going in circles. "The boat was going round and round. He tried to swim and get back in the boat and the boat ran over him," said Williams. DNR said multiple other boaters stepped up to help, including Williams. "When I got there they were trying to pull the body up on the back of the boat and they were worn out so jumped over to their boat and helped pull the body back into their boat," said Williams. And he said he knew right away it wasn't good. It was bad. You could tell. He had some bad lacerations where it looked like he had been hit by the propeller of the boat he was in. It was a gruesome scene he wishes he and the other boaters had never witnessed. Despite how bad the injuries looked, DNR hasn't determined the cause of death. He also could have drowned because he wasn't wearing a life jacket. Life jackets are like seatbelts in cars. When you realize you need it, it's too late to put it on. You need to wear it all the time. No one else was hurt in the accident, despite the boat circling out of control for several minutes. DNR said they were able to keep other boats out of the area until the victim's boat eventually ran out of gas. Read full story here. 

07-06-13 CAMDEN, NC Man missing after boat capsizes on Wateree River Officials are using boats and helicopters to look for a man missing after his boat capsized on the Wateree River north of Camden. Authorities say 44-y/o man was in his boat around 11 p.m. Sat. (07-06) with a woman when the boat hit a log and sank. The woman says she resurfaced, but the man disappeared. DNR Capt. Robert McCullough says the woman floated downstream and found a fisherman, who then called authorities. McCullough says rescuers are still hoping to find the man alive even though the Wateree River is moving fast and is near flood stage. The man's name has not been released. Read full story here. 

07-05-13 TALLAHASSEE, FL Ochlocknee River: Teens rescued from capsized kayak in Wakulla county near Tallahassee Two teens have been rescued after their kayak capsized amid heavy rain and high winds in the Florida Panhandle. The Tallahassee Democrat reports a 17-y/o male and his 14-y/o sister were found clinging to their kayak in the Ochlocknee River Fri. evening (07-05). The teens' father jumped from an overhead bridge to assist them. A Wakulla Co. Sheriff's lieutenant and a deputy responded to the scene and called for a search and rescue boat. But the water became increasingly rough, so instead of waiting the lieutenant called a friend who came with his own boat and was able to rescue them. Neither the teens nor their father were injured. Heavy rains have caused flooding and roadway closures throughout the Panhandle region. Read full story here. 

07-07-13 ROCK RIVER, IL Jet ski accident kills one on Rock River Western Illinois authorities say one person died after a fatal jet skiing accident on the Rock River. The Sun. afternoon (07-07) accident happened after 2 people on 2 separate jet skis went over the Steel Dam. The 2nd person was able to hold on to the watercraft and was rescued. Meanwhile, the body of the person who drowned was later discovered downstream. Authorities haven't released names of either victim. The Illinois DNR Conservation Police says the accident remains under investigation. Read full story here. 

07-06-13 LA PORTE, IN Boat, jet ski crash in lake Authorities are trying to determine Mon. who was driving a boat that crashed into a jet ski on Pine Lake in LaPorte and fled. The day after the crash, officers located the suspected boat littered with empty beer cans and cups, according to LaPorte Co. investigators. About 7 p.m. Sat. (07-06), officers were called by Daniel Ragusa, who told investigators he and his son were on the backseat of the jet ski idling near the buoys marking the beach along Waverly Road. Ragusa, of Oak Lawn, Ill. told authorities a red and white boat hit the front left corner of his 2013 Sea Doo personal watercraft. The impact was hard enough to throw Ragusa's son into the water. The driver of the boat stopped and asked if everyone was okay as Ragusa jumped in the water to help his son back onto the Jet Ski. When Ragusa looked around, the boat was gone. There were fiberglass chips from the boat embedded in the Jet Ski, police said. No injuries were reported. Officers searched the shoreline and the surrounding area but were unable to find the boat. The next day police located the boat on the south side of Pine Lake. Next to the boat was a woman, who told police the boat was owned by her father. Police said the boat had an expired Illinois registration. Read full story here. 

07-04-13 KEUKA LAKE, NY Jet skis collide on Keuka; woman seriously hurt A Mendon, N.Y., woman is in guarded condition at Strong Memorial Hosp. in Rochester after the Jet Ski she was piloting collided with another jet ski on Keuka Lake on Thur. (07-04). Theresa Wagaman, 43, of Mendon, was taken by helicopter to the Rochester hosp. following the collision just before 8 p.m. on July 4 near the Glenwood Club in the Town of Urbana. She suffered a severe head injury and broken bones. Wagaman’s Jet Ski and a jet ski piloted by Jeremy Jumper, 39, of Clyde, N.Y., collided when both parties tried to alter course at the same time and ended up turning into each other, stated Monday by the Steuben Co. Sheriff’s Office. Both Wagaman and Jumper were thrown from their jet skis and landed in the water. There were no witnesses to the crash itself; however several people heard the collision and then heard Jumper yelling for help while holding Wagaman. The Hammondsport Fire Marine Unit, the Steuben Co. Sheriff’s Office and Hammondsport Ambulance assisted in getting Wagaman to shore where she was taken by medical helicopter to Strong. Jumper did not report any injuries and went with Wagaman to Strong. Both Wagaman and Jumper were wearing floatation devices, which the sheriff’s office credits with preventing Wagaman from drowning following the crash. Alcohol is not a factor in the collision. Read full story here.  

07-06-13 LONG ISLAND, NY Accident kills jet skier in waters off Long Island A man has been killed after his jet ski crashed on the Great South Bay on Long Island. Authorities say the 33-y/o man crashed when his watercraft clipped another boat's anchor line Sat. afternoon (07-06). The man died from his injuries at the hosp. The boat and the Jet Ski were towed to the Suffolk Co.  Police Marine Bureau for safety checks. Read full story here. 

07-06-13 LAKE HARTWELL, SC Teen injured in jet ski explosion on Lake Hartwell An Upstate teen is recovering after being injured in a jet-ski explosion on Lake Hartwell, according to officials. Chief Billy Gibson of the Anderson Co. Fire Dept. said the teen was fueling up the watercraft at Portman Marina Sat. (07-06) around 6:30 p.m., when the youth mistakenly put gasoline in the oil tank. Gibson said the engine blew up when the youth later cranked the Jet Ski. The teen suffered minor burns and scrapes from the blast, but his injuries were non-life-threatening. The incident caused between 5 and 8 gallons of fuel to spill into the lake. The South Carolina DNR and Anderson County Hazmat crews assisted firefighters in cleaning up the minor spill. Read full story here.  

07-05-13 BRIGANTINE, NJ Two rescued late Friday from sailboat that ran aground near Brigantine Two boaters were rescued late Fri. (07-05) after their sailboat ran aground on a uninhabited area on the north end of Brigantine. Fire Capt. Joseph Maguire said a 31-ft. sailboat ran aground in foggy conditions about 1 mi. N. of the nearest occupied dwelling. Using a pick-up truck towing the dept's. inflatable rescue boat, firefighters responded to the scene at about 10 p.m. “The vessel was being pounded by the surf, and was pitching from side to side, with 2 stranded occupants on board,” Maguire said. Firefighters deployed the rescue boat and were able to position it beside the stricken sailboat. They removed the 2 boaters from the vessel and took them to the beach, where they were warmed up. Both were uninjured and refused medical treatment. The fire dept. found lodging for them overnight at La Sammana Resort in Brigantine. Maguire said the boat was sailing from NYC to Atlantic City when its GPS navigational system failed. The NJ State Marine Police and a Sea Tow vessel also responded to the scene, with plans to transport the sailboat to deeper water. Read full story here.  

07-06-13 WASHINGTON D.C. Sailboat Sinks In Potomac, 5 Swim To Safety U.S. Park Police say a sailboat sank in the Potomac River with 5people on board. Four males and 1 female swam to safety after their sailboat sank in the Potomac River S. of the 14th Street Bridge close to the VA shore. Police say the boat is totally submerged and that the female was transported to Virginia Med. Center for check up with non-life threatening injuries. Read full story here. 

07-07-13 HURON COUNTY, MI 3 men rescued after boat sinks in Lake Huron Huron Co. 911 received a call Sun.morning (07-07) from the owner of a pleasure craft who reported that his boat just sank off Hume Township's northern coastline. Huron Co.Sheriff Kelly J. Hanson said the boat's owner, Adam Dubs, 22, of Kinde, told 911 dispatchers around 8:40 a.m. that the boat went under near the Osceola Reef, about 2.5 mi. offshore of Hume Township. Apparently he and a 29-y/o man from New Haven, along with a 33-y/o man from Caro, were trolling for fish and were all standing near the stern of his 1984 18' Bayliner boat. Kelly said with an approximate 2' following sea and a low freeboard on the boat, the boat began to take on water and the bilge pump apparently malfunctioned. This led the boat to begin to sink. Police said Dubs tried to accelerate to help drain the water out of the boat, but the engine submerged and the boat sank with the exception of the bow. They immediately began to yell for help as they entered the water and that's when Dubs called 911. Kelly said local charter boat Captain John Holmes, who was nearby, responded and got them all out of the water. Holmes began to tow the disabled boat back to Port Austin and was assisted by Huron Co. Sheriff's Patrol Boat #150, which arrived on scene about 10 mi. later. During the tow, the boat did somewhat re-surface. Once in Port Austin, Huron Co. Sheriff's deputies used a de-watering pump from the Patrol Boat to totally re-float the boat so it could be loaded on a trailer. Kelly said no one was injured during the incident. Read full story here.  

07-05-13 SEA GATE, NY Bodies Of Missing Jet Skiers Found Off Coney Island Shore – Rescuers have recovered the bodies of a man and woman who fell off their jet ski Thur.  night (07-04) along the Coney Island shore. Crews began searching for Celine Fu, 29, and Willie Tom, 46, around 8:45 p.m. Investigators say they were on the jet ski with a 3According to the USCG, witnesses say Tom went missing while trying to search for Fu. While Tom was an experienced swimmer, Fu could not swim. Officials said both victims were not wearing life jackets. Read full story here.

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