An angler in a 12’ jon boat was found far at sea two days after he pushed off from a St. Augustine, Florida, boat ramp and headed out the inlet to fish at 4 a.m.
An explosion at a gas dock in California killed two women and injured several others.
And head of the N.Y. branch of the publishing group that owns the rights to Harry Potter died off Italy’s Amalfi coast when a motorboat her family had chartered crashed into a 100’ white sailboat in broad daylight.
All of these events could easily have been avoided—but hindsight is always more accurate than oversight, of course.
Charles Gregory of St. Augustine, FL, was found after two days adrift in a 12′ jon boat some 12 miles at sea. (Joe Perez, USCG)
The Florida Rescue
The search for the Florida boater came to a dramatic end when the U.S. Coast Guard found him drifting 12 miles off Jacksonville Beach — in a boat that was largely underwater, as shown in Coast Guard video.
Charles Gregory, 25, was rescued Saturday, nearly two days after he launched from the Lighthouse Park Boat Ramp late Thursday to go fishing for bull reds at the inlet—something he had done frequently in the past.
This time, Gregory’s little outboard motor conked out, and a strong outgoing tide quickly took him through the inlet. Before long, he was many miles from shore and waves had filled the little boat with water. The boat rolled over and he lost everything aboard including his cell phone. He managed to get the boat turned right side up and get back aboard. To avoid sinking, he jettisoned the motor.
An HC-130 Hercules aircrew spotted Gregory Saturday morning, sitting in his partially submerged jon boat. Gregory’s small boat was full of water and the front was below the surface. The CG rescued him a short time later.
Once ashore, he was taken to a waiting ambulance by stretcher and showed signs of severe sunburn and dehydration, but no other evident health issues.
Most of us truly rabid anglers who are not to the manor born have fished bigger water than we should in boats that are too small for the task. But the key to pushing the envelope is to have a backup plan, a sort of failsafe that will bail you out, literally or figuratively, if the unexpected causes a problem to turn into an emergency.
These days, many anglers are fishing in sit-on-top kayaks as far as 5 miles offshore in some areas thanks to pedal drive and/or electric motors that allow them to travel faster and farther than ever before.
The ‘yaks have a safety factor built in because they are basically air filled corks that can’t be sunk. But there’s no question that these intrepid anglers are putting themselves at risk anytime they get beyond swimming distance from the beach. Other small boats are similarly at risk in big water.
The key to reducing risk for this action, per the USCG are:
Know the extended weather forecast, particularly wind and tides
Have an alternative propulsion system, secured to the boat
Carry a communications device like an EPIRB in addition to a cell phone.
Wear a PFD
File a float plan—let someone know when you’ll return and whom to call if you don’t
This boat explosion and fire killed two and injured three others during a fueling incident at Long Beach, CA. (USCG)
The CaliforniaBoat Explosion
Two women were killed and three others were injured in a boat fire Saturday in Long Beach’s Alamitos Bay. The explosion occurred during or right after fueling, per marina employees.
Particularly with inboard boats fueled by gasoline rather than diesel, there’s always a fire/explosion danger during and after fueling. The recommended steps in fueling this type of boat are:
Shut off any electrical or propane devices.
Close the cabin door to separate it from the fueling area
Make sure no one is smoking on the boat or the dock close by.
Wipe up any fuel spills immediately. Deposit the paper towels in a suitable flammables container (usually red or yellow) on the dock.
Open the hatch where the fuel tank is located and let any vapors escape before staring the engine.
If the boat has a blower, run it for at least five minutes after fueling before starting the engine.
The Amalfi coast of Italy is a noted vacationing and boating location for visitors from around the world, but it was the site of a boating disaster last weekend. (Wikimedia)
The Italian Crash
And, it goes without saying, don’t drive a powerboat smack into a 100’ white sailboat on a sunny afternoon. How you can manage to do this, particularly as a paid captain, challenges the imagination, but the lawyers will sort it out.
The 45-year old woman was struck by the prop of the 45’ inboard after falling overboard. Italian news agencies reported the paid captain of the boat tested positive for alcohol in his blood.
If the BWI is confirmed, the captain will no doubt become the poster boy for why you do not drink excessively and drive a boat, anymore than you drink excessively and drive a car.
The penalties for BWI, by the way, are the same as for DUI in many states, and you can lose your driver’s license if you get a BWI charge.
