08-14-13 ITHACA, NY Girl Scouts rescued from rough Finger Lakes water A group of Girl Scout campers are safe after rough waters in the Finger Lakes disrupted their sailboat outing and swamped the motor boat sent out to bring them to shore. Emergency officials said that 4 or 5 junior sailors were in small sailboats on Cayuga Lake off Ithaca Wed. morning (08-14) when the wind kicked up and the motor boat went to tow them back to Camp Comstock. The children got on that boat, but it began to take on water and submerged. People from the camp used canoes and PWCs to bring the children to shore. The adult operating the boat stayed with it until she was rescued by park police. Authorities say everyone was wearing a lifejacket and there were no serious injuries. Rea full story here.
08-14-13 BOLTON, NY Man dies after jumping into Lake George Authorities say they've found the body of a man who went missing after jumping into Lake George. The Warren Co. Sheriff's Office says 31-y/o Trevor Capanzano of Woodstock was on a rented boat fishing with friends when he jumped in and disappeared just before 2 p.m. Wed. (08-14). His body was found a couple of hrs. later after a search by divers and rescue boat crews. Read full story here.
08-14-13 JAMES CITY, VA 2 boaters rescued after sailboat capsizes on the York River A man and woman were rescued Wed. morning (08-14) after their sailboat overturned in the York River off York River State Park. Billy Apperson with the James City-Bruton VFD said a park ranger saw the 20-ft. sailboat turn over just before 8:00 a.m. and called for help. A crab boat and the county's rescue boat arrived about the same time - close to 8:30 a.m. - and got the 2 out of the water. The boat was being towed to shore, but the rough conditions were making the recovery difficult. The names of the boaters weren't immediately available. Apperson said they were in their late teens or early 20s and they weren't being treated for any injuries. The Virginia Marine Police will investigate the circumstances of the incident. Read full story here.
08-12-13 MADELINE ISLAND, WI 2 rescued after sailboat capsizes in Lake Superior near Madeline Island Two men were rescued Mon. (08-12) in Lake Superior after the sailboat they were on capsized, according to the USCG. CG Station Bayfield received a report from a 911 dispatcher about 2:30 p.m. about a capsized 17-ft. sailboard near Madeline Island. “Both men did the right thing by wearing their lifejackets,” Petty Officer 3rd Class Daniel Harris, the officer-of-the-day at Station Bayfield. “The men were also wearing wetsuits, which would have greatly helped their chances of survival if we had not found them right away.” CG Sector Sault Ste. Marie, Mich., issued an urgent marine-information broadcast, asking those on the water to report any sightings to the closest CG unit and help, if possible. A crew from Station Bayfield found the 2 men and took them out of the water, towed the sailboat and brought the men to Madeline Island Marina. No injuries were reported, and the names of the men were not released.Read full story here.
08-08-13 ANNAPOLIS, MD Two swim to safety after sailboat overturns near Annapolis Two young men were able to swim to safety after the sailboat they were in overturned Thur. afternoon (08-09) in the Arundel on the Bay community near Annapolis. Firefighters responded at 4:45 p.m. By the time they arrived, the sailors had made it to a nearby pier, said Division Chief Keith Swindle, Anne Arundel Co. FD said. Neither young man was injured. Their boat was towed to shore where it was turned upright, Swindle said. He was unable to say what type of boat the men were sailing.Read full story here.
08-05-13 ROCHESTER, NY Father, son missing on sailboat found safe "It was an adventure" said Charles Roelle about the night he and his 9-y/o son Hunter were stranded on Lake Ontario. The father and son on a sailboat, reported missing, were found Mon. morning (08-05) on the shore of Durand Eastman Beach, according to the USCG. They were out for a evening of fishing and had just cooked steaks on the grill when a gas can fell overboard in rough waves. They were able to retrieve it but were not able to restart the boat’s engine because of the water intake. They eventually beached off Lake Shore Blvd. and spent the night there. They had no idea that when they did not return as planned Sun. night (08-04) their family called the CG and a large scale rescue and search operation was underway. Roelle is an experienced sailor who piloted his boat here from Florida at the beginning of the summer. He says Lake Ontario is one of the most difficult waterways to maneuver, even more so than the ocean. "If you can sail Lake Ontario, you can sail anywhere," said Roelle. Read full story here.
08-15-13 BROOKLYN, NY Boat goes up in flames; takes 60 firefighters to contain A 30-ft. boat went up in flames in front of Nick’s Lobster and Seafood Restaurant Thur. (08-15) in Brooklyn, authorities and witnesses said. The recreational boat was anchored at the Sea Travel Marina near Flatbush Avenue in Mill Basin around 2:50 p.m. when a piece of rope caught fire when the boater tried to start the engine. The vessel burned for an hr. and took more than 60 firefighters to get the blaze under control, the FNDY said. “It was scary because the boat was drifting towards the houses in the middle of the bay. A couple of our staff helped bring the boat in. The boat was completely destroyed,” Rosanne, a manager at Nicks restaurant, said. No injuries were reported, the FDNY said. Read full story here.
Rescue crews have been busy in the past few wks. responding to several boating emergencies. Most recently, Wed. morning (08-14), when a Port Charlotte man was seriously injured after a boat fire. It's a scene that's played out in Southwest Florida several times just in the past few weeks. Every one of these cases dealt with chemicals and experts say could have been prevented by using boating safety measures.
"75% of boating accidents are human error," said Heather Fabrizzi with Sea Tow. Those numbers don't show signs of slowing. Just a few weeks ago there were 2 different boating emergencies in Fort Myers.
Two men were taken to the hosp. at the end of July with possible burns after a boat explosion in a canal behind a home on Baker Court. Four days later on August 1st, 2 girls were burned at The Landings Marina. One of the girls had 2nd-degree burns on her arm and back. According to officials, both accidents happened because gas fumes ignited. Now, a Port Charlotte man sits fighting for his life in a Tampa hosp. with burns the to face, hands and arms. His boat is charred. Fire officials say chemicals are also to blame on this case. "Is it a little concerning, knowing how many people go out there unprepared?" a reporter asked Mitchell Miller of the USCG. "It is," Miller replied. The USCG hopes to educate boaters and prevent accidents they say are largely preventable. "As far as chemicals, obviously they want to be in a well ventilated area," Miller said. "Some boats are fixed with a blower system. Those should be used properly, they should be inspected by not only yourself but maybe on an annual or semi-annual basis."
"Use your nose," Fabrizzi said when it comes to fumes. As soon as you smell them, it's time to jump into action. "Open your engine compartment, open your hatches," she said. "Look down in your bilge, look through all the the little compartments that can possibly have a vapor lock of gas and can cause an explosion." "If you are taking ownership, possesion of being the captain of that boat, then you should care about the crew that is going out with you," said Miller. Read full story here.
08-15-13 PREBLE COUNTY, OH Death of 24-year-old on boat investigated Preble Co. authorities are investigating the death of a 24-y/o man who was found dead in a boat on a private pond Thur. afternoon (08-15). Preble Co. Sheriff Michael Simpson said family members arrived home to find the boat partially submerged, and when the boat was pulled to shore, the man was inside.
The man was pronounced dead at the scene. Simpson said some sort of medical issue may be to blame. Read full story here.
08-13-13 BRIDGEPORT, PA Crews retrieve capsized boat washed down Schuylkill River near Bridgeport No injuries were reported Wed. (08-14) after a boat churned loose by a storm on Tue. (08-13) was found capsized in the Schuylkill River near the turnpike overpass in Bridgeport. Members of the Swedesburg, Jefferson, W. Norriton, Norristown and George Clay FDs responded to the call and conducted what was reported as a water rescue in which they searched the vessel for occupants. An individual from SIMS Metal Mgmt., located on Schuylkill River Rd., reported the overturned vessel. A CBS helicopter filming the scene was asked to scan the river for anyone who may have been onboard. Once the rescue team righted the boat and ran the tags, the owner was located and contacted. It was unknown at the time if the owner had reported the boat missing, but the owner was certain no one was aboard, according to Dep. Chief Jeffrey Houseal of the Swedesburg VFD. On Tue., a barge came loose from its moorings at the Main Street bridge in Norristown, traveled down Stony Creek and struck land at Schuylkill River Island. The Norristown FD water rescue team retrieved 2 construction workers from the barge. No serious injuries were reported. Read full story here.
08-14-13 HOUSTON, TX Body found during search for missing Houston boater The USCG found a body Thur. afternoon (08-15) while searching for a missing Houston boater. Officials with the agency said they could not provide further details, including the identity of the body found.
The CG and Galveston PD marine division have been searching for Lee Haverman after a Good Samaritan came upon the 50-y/o Houston man's boat with its engines still engaged and only a dog aboard in the West Bay, Petty Officer Steve Lehmann said. The good Samaritan found the boat about 4 p.m. Wed. (08-14) and notified CG Sector Houston-Galveston watchstanders of the abandoned 17-ft. pleasure craft and began towing it to shore. CG crew members continued searching through the night and on Thursday morning were searching with an MH-65 Dolphin helicopter from Air Station Houston. Haverman's identity was determined through his boating registration, and his children were notified.
According to Sandusky firefighters, a man, likely a mechanic working on the 20-ft. Welcraft power boat, suffered burns and drove himself to Firelands Regional Med. Center. At least 2 neighbors helped tame the blaze with fire extinguishers. The explosion is still being investigated, firefighters said. Read full story here.
08-14-13 McHENRY, MD Man charged in Deep Creek boat crash A 20-y/o Fallston man was tracked down and charged Wed. morning (08-14) after a wrecked and abandoned motorboat was discovered aground on the dam at Deep Creek Lake. “Employees of the Brookfield Power Company were making their morning rounds when they saw the boat and called,” said Maryland Natural Resources Police Cpl. Walt May. Using the registration number on the 20-ft. Bayliner, police identified Michael Shannon as the owner. “Officer Felsecker found Shannon at his parents’ home (near the lake) about 9:30 a.m. He was charged with OUI, negligent operation and underage possession of alcohol,” May said. Officer Glenn Broadwater worked the accident scene. May said Shannon, who was accompanied in the boat by a friend, apparently operated the boat at full throttle in a very dark area of the lake. There were no injuries. “We believe the accident took place about midnight,” May said. The boat was fully out of the water and had significant damage, including a cracked fuel tank. May estimated the boat was traveling 20-40 mph. Director John Frank said he was the first responder at 8 a.m. after an alert that originated with the Maryland Dept. of the Environment downstate was transfered to the Maryland Emergency Mgmt. Agency and then to Garrett Co. Some fuel spilled into the lake, but was dissipated by wind and wave action. Floating absorbant booms were placed as well. Hazardous incident response teams from Garrett and Allegany counties arrived and drained the remaining 20 gal. of fuel from the boat’s tank. Read full story here.
08-13-13 GROVELAND, CA Drowning Victim Located And ID’d The Tuolumne Co. Sheriff's Office has identified the man that drowned Tue. afternoon i(08-13) in Lake Don Pedro. Harold DePalma of Ballico, California was on a small boat with his wife and daughter, and was heading out to a houseboat on the lake. When he reached out to grab ahold of the houseboat, he went overboard and did not resurface. The Sheriff's Office reports that they have recovered the body thanks to a submarine type piece of equipment on loan from Stanislaus Co. The accident occurred at around 1pm near the Fleming Meadows Boat Ramp. DePalma was 87-years-old. Read full story here.
08-12-13 MONROE COUNTY, FL Body of missing Trinity man found in the Keys The body of Brian Kowalski, a Trinity man who jumped from a boat to save a child on Mon. (08-12), was found about 11:45 a.m. Wed. (08-14). A Florida FWC helicopter pilot spotted the body near Johnson Key, according to FWC spokeswoman Carli Segelson, and contacted detectives from the Monroe Co. Sheriff's Office and the medical examiner's office. "I'm sad and relieved at the same time," said Steve Weir, a longtime friend of Kowalski's who was boating with him Mon. when the accident happened. On Mon. Weir and Kowalski took turns snorkeling, and 2 boys, Jonathan Weir, 8, and Caden Wolfe, 7, swam behind the boat while holding on to a trailing rope. Caden climbed back in the boat first. When Jonathan tried to pull himself up with the rope, Kowalski's 10-y/o daughter Erin said, it got caught in the propeller, and the current started pulling him away. Kowalski, 39, jumped in after the boy. Weir said he surfaced from his snorkeling and noticed the boat wasn't moving. As he swam toward the boat, he heard yelling. He got to his son Jonathan, who told him Kowalski had let go of him and was floating face down in the water. Weir and Kowalski have been diving together for years, Weir said, and he thought it strange that Kowalski could drown. "He knows what to do in those situations," he said. An autopsy will be done in about two days. Read full story here.