Boating Safety News
Ski Boat and Jet-Ski Collide
June 09, 2011
Molonglo River, Australia - A ski boat and jet-ski collide on the sharpest bend in the river, both are towing passengers.
The boat operator said the jet-ski and the boat jockeyed with each other like two people about to walk into each other in a busy shopping centre. He said the jet-ski turned left before hooking right again while the boat went to mid-river, then turned left and then went straight ahead.
The jet-ski operator was seriously injured when he was sucked under the boat in the collision and slightly injuring a teenager who was riding pillion behind the jet-ski.
40-foot Boat and Jet-Ski Collision
June 06, 2011
Beachwood, New Jersey, USA- A 35 year-old woman was seriously injured Sunday night when her Jet Ski collided with a 40-foot boat in the Toms River, near the Toms River Country Club.
She was ejected from the Jet Ski into the transom of the boat before she fell back into the water. She was pulled out of the water by passengers on the boat and taken ashore where she was conscious, but was having difficulty breathing.
She was transported to the Medical Center where she is listed in fair condition.
No one else was injured in the crash, and no charges have been filed at this point.
Three Men Rescued in Cold Lake Michigan
May 31, 2011
Gary, Chicago, USA - Three Illinois men are safe after Indiana Department of Natural Resources conservation officers retrieved them Monday afternoon from cold, wavy Lake Michigan waters during a routine patrol.
The men had been in the water a quarter mile off Lake Street Beach for about 15 minutes when officers came upon them.
They were struggling against the winds and waves that just kept pushing the jet ski further and further from them. They were wearing the kill switch strap, but the winds were too strong.
All three men, appeared to be in their 20s. They were cold and exhausted but otherwise fine. That was in no small part because all three were wearing lifejackets.
This is a perfect example of why wearing a personal flotation jacket is so important when on a personal watercraft.
Indiana law requires all people on personal watercraft to wear a U.S. Coast Guard-approved personal flotation device. All other boats require a wearable U.S. Coast Guard-approved device be on board for each person on the boat. Although it is not required to wear them on boats other than personal watercrafts, the DNR Law Enforcement Division highly recommends they be worn.
Woman Killed in Watercraft Crash
May 31, 2011
Sussex County, Delaware, USA - A 31-year-old Millsboro woman was killed Sunday afternoon when her personal watercraft collided with another one operated by a 20-year-old. The crash occurred May 29 in Rehoboth Bay near Herring Creek.
It is the first boating fatality in the state this year, in 2010, Delaware had two boating fatalities ranking the state among the safest in the country for boating.
Dutch Teenager Underway Again
December 03, 2010
THE HAGUE, NETHERLANDS - Laura Dekker is crossing the Atlantic Ocean from the Cape Verde Islands off West Africa to the Caribbean island of St. Maarten, she is expecting the 2,200 nautical mile leg to take three weeks to cross.
Laura's boat is a twin-masted 38-foot Jeanneau Ginfizz ketch.
Coast Guard vessel hits boat, killing boy
December 20, 2009
SAN DIEGO, California, USA - An 8-year-old boy was killed and five people were seriously injured when a Coast Guard vessel responding to an emergency call struck a 24-foot Sea Ray boat with 13 people onboard near Harbor Island during the San Diego Bay Parade of Lights. Witnesses state that the Coast Guard vessel was traveling fast with its lights on at the time of the collision.
The captain of the Sea Ray stated that his vessel was drifting at 2 to 3 knots about 5:45 p.m., after the fireworks show ended and the parade was about to begin. He recalled hearing the Coast Guard boat, a 33-foot Special Purpose Craft, speed up behind him at an estimated 30 to 40 knots. The Sea Ray captain said he tried to steer out of the way. "I thought he was going to turn at some point,? the Sea Ray captain said". He came up so fast, I didn't have time to react.?
No one was thrown into the water and both boats later made it to shore under their own power. Two adults suffered "major traumas" and were taken to UCSD Medical Center. A third adult was taken to Harbor Island, where paramedics performed CPR before he was transferred by ambulance to UCSD Medical Center.
The accident occurred during one of San Diego's longest-running and highest-profile holiday events. More than 80,000 people had been expected to watch the 38th annual procession of lighted boats from anchored vessels and from the shore. Authorities have not said how the accident occurred, but it came just after sundown in clear weather with light winds. The Coast Guard will conduct an investigation of the crash. The National Transportation Safety Board is sending a team from the East Coast to conduct its own investigation.
Update
December 25,2009
NTSB Seeks San Diego Boat Crash Video
Federal investigators are looking for videos of a collision between a Coast Guard boat and a 24-foot pleasure boat during a Dec. 20 boat parade on San Diego Bay in which an 8-year- old boy was killed. The National Transportation Safety Board said its investigators also want electronic data that indicates speeds and routes of the boats that crashed.
Investigators examined the 33-foot Coast Guard boat Dec.22 and the recreational boat Dec. 23. They also plan to interview Coast Guard personnel and eyewitnesses.
The NTSB agency typically posts evidence on its Web site about six months after an incident.
Commentary
March 09,2010
Where were the Life Jackets?
When two adult victims and a boatload full of disoriented children were helped ashore after the boating accident none were wearing life jackets. Now, that may not have prevented the collision, however personnel flotation devices (PFD's) are required for all children younger than 11 on the water.
According to state law, ?If boating on a vessel that is 26-feet or less, every child 11 years of age or younger must wear a PFD, unless in an enclosed cabin OR restrained by a harness tethered to a sailboat. Children's PFD's must be U.S. Coast Guard-approved Type I, II, III or V and, must be appropriate for the wearer's size and weight. Inflatable PFD's are not designed for use by children under the age of 16. A violation of the child PFD law can result in a fine up to $250."
Aside from a lack of PFD's on boating spectators who were injured, I cannot help but wonder why 13 people were crowded aboard a 24-foot boat.
Update
December 02, 2010
It has been nearly one year after the collision of a Coast Guard 33-footer and a 24-foot boat at the San Diego parade of lights. The prosecution continues with four of the Coast Guard crew after one has been cleared of any wrong doing.
Civilian law enforcement found Petty Officer 3rd Class Paul Ramos, 21, at fault having violated five California boating regulations including failure to maintain a safe speed and proper lookouts. His military trial will start in February 2011 for negligent homicide and involuntary manslaughter. Ramos's defense lawyers are blaming a blind spot in the design of the 33-foot Coast Guard patrol boat while witnesses have said that the patrol boat was going too fast for the crowded conditions of the parade spectators.
The Coast Guard crew members stated that they never saw the 24-foot boat before the crash.
What Should You Do If You Find a Weather Balloon at Sea?
March 10, 2010
Boaters can help recycle fallen radiosondes.
Weather balloons or "radiosondes" are deployed twice a day from about 800 locations worldwide. The devices can reach altitudes of more than 100,000 feet before they burst and disintegrate.
These burst balloons often land in the ocean. Boaters can spot one by its orange-colored parachute connected to a square plastic foam box.
If you locate one, first cut the string to the burst balloon and remove the battery (wait until it is cool enough to handle) to recycle separately. There should be a plastic prepaid postage mailbag inside the box. Put it in the bag and hand it directly to your postal letter carrier or take it to any post office.
For more information visit www.ua.nws.noaa.gov/factsheet.htm
Coast Guard Warns of Unapproved EPIRB Batteries
December 25, 2009
Stick to manufacturer sanctioned service, or your emergency beacon could stop working.
The Coast Guard reported that one of its districts has received at least three reports regarding unapproved replacements of 406 MHz EPIRB batteries by servicing companies that have no association with the EPIRB manufacturer. These unauthorized battery installations would likely result in a failure of this critical item of lifesaving equipment, and as such are not in compliance with the operational readiness requirements of 46 CFR, the Coast Guard stated.
The Coast Guard reported that every approved (i.e., accepted by the FCC) EPIRB is tested during its approval process using batteries specified by the manufacturer. Approved EPIRB's come with a user's manual, which describes battery maintenance and replacement procedures. In order for the EPIRB to remain within the conditions of its approval, the manufacturer's instructions in the user's manual must be adhered to.
To ensure that replacement batteries are of the same type with which the EPIRB was approved, and are correctly installed, manufacturers typically specify that battery replacements be done only by the manufacturer or a manufacturer approved shop.
Any modification or changes to an EPIRB must be made in accordance with the manufacturer. The use of alternative replacement parts or batteries is prohibited and may prevent the device from meeting lifesaving requirements, the Coast Guard stated.
According to the Coast Guard, EPIRB owners and servicing facilities must be aware of the potential for equipment failure stemming from any EPIRB modification or unauthorized battery replacement.
Anchoring Snafus Prompt Two Rescues at Santa Cruz Island
Dec 1, 2009
Diver loses his boat while diving.
SANTA CRUZ? In 20 knots of wind and rough seas a lone diver crossed the Santa Barbara Channel to fish at Hungryman's Gulch at Santa Cruz Island. After diving for awhile he surfaced to find his boat was missing.
He swam ashore and ran 4 miles to find help at Scorpion Cove where a boat was preparing to leave for Prisoners Harbor just to the west. They had searched for 20 minutes when they spotted a sport-fishing boat towing the diver's boat about 3 miles off Smugglers Cove.
Marooned after boat drifts away.
On a separate event on Thanksgiving day, four campers had to be rescued after their 26-foot boat had drifted to sea while they were ashore setting up camp.
A good Samaritan reported the stranded four to the Coast Guard. While en route to the island the Coast Guard found the drifting boat about 1.6 miles southwest of where it had been anchored.
Angler Rescued After Capsize of 12-foot Skiff
November 8, 2009
Following a long night in the water, a Chula Vista man was pulled to safety.
SAN DIEGO? 48 year old Robert Jary clung to the cooler after his 12-foot aluminum skiff was flipped by a large wave. Robert was alone in the dark no more then 200 feet from the tip of Point Loma held there by pounding surf and rip currents.
In darkness, rollers remain practically invisible until they approach shallow water and rise up to break; only then do they show their white crests.
Robert was motoring just outside the surf zone when a large wave broke seaward of his boat causing the boat to fill with seawater. He started to turned his boat back out to sea when a second large wave broke next to him sending him into the dark cold water. The wave had rolled him several times before he was able to make his way back to the surface without the aid of a life jacket. His boat was beyond reach and the only thing floating close to him was the cooler.
Robert spent the next hour clinging to the cooler. Soon, fatigue and numbness set in signaling hypothermia.
According to a study by the University of Minnesota, titled "Hypothermia Prevention: Survival in Cold Water", hypothermia sets in the moment the body is immersed in cold water. Survival time in 61 degrees Fahrenheit water varies from one hour to more then a day, but a person can lose consciousness in less then an hour. Muscles tense and shiver producing more body heat to protect the body but with a loss of motor control.
The victim can lose consciousness when their core body temperature drops to the 90 to 82 degrees Fahrenheit range. Eventually without rescue the heart may fail.
Robert was rescued by Tom Farris, the Commanding Officer of the Point Loma lighthouse when Tom's wife heard Robert's cries for help coming from the surf zone. Farris and Rear Admiral Jake Korn called the Coast Guard and grabbed a one person kayak to paddle out and look for the source of the cries for help. Robert was located but was unable to pull himself onto the kayak. He hung onto to the side of the kayak until the Coast Guard arrived and was able to pull him to safety.
