Nearly three months have passed since a spearfisherman was killed by a passing boater over the July Fourth Weekend. Recently, authorities have charged that boater in the man’s death. Palmer Reid Long Jr., 72, of Placida, Florida, was charged on Sept. 23, with vessel homicide after police say he didn’t…
Articles Posted in Boating Accident
Family Grieves the Snorkeling Death of a Couple on Maui Vacation. What to Know to Stay Safe on the Water.
A woman pregnant with her second child and her husband have died following a snorkeling incident while on vacation in Maui. The tragedy took place on Saturday, Sept. 14 just after noon on the north side of Ahihi-Kinau Natural Area Reserve, according to reporting from national news outlets. The couple…
Boat of Missing Man, 70, Found off Florida Gulf Coast
The U.S. Coast Guard announced Friday that it was suspending its 8,462-square-mile search for a missing 70-year-old man following news of his boat being found abandoned, according to reporting from local news outlets. Bert Erwin was on a 150-mile trip up Florida’s coast from Marco Island to Indian Rocks Beach…
Teen killed after being struck by boat propeller. What to Know.
An 18-year-old died when she was hit by a propeller trying to board a New Jersey boat over the weekend officials say. The teen was on a raft being pulled by the boat and, when she tried to get on the boat, was hit by the propeller. Additional details were…
Parents of boy killed in St. Petersburg boat crash sue family of minor operating the vessel. What to Know about Florida’s Boater Age Requirements.
Two families have filed lawsuits in a March St. Petersburg boat crash that resulted in a wrongful death case of a 15-year-old boy, according to reporting from local news outlets. The crash happened near Bayshore Blvd in Shore Acres in St. Petersburg after a family get-together in which at least…
Two dead following Florida Keys personal watercraft crash Tuesday, authorities say
An adult and child have died following a crash on a personal watercraft in Marathon, Florida, according to local news outlets reporting. Emergency responders were called to the area near 15th Street Ocean around 6:45 p.m. after the personal watercraft crashed into a sea wall. Police shared a photo of…
Lobster season is a go! What to know to have a safe and successful lobster season
The regular lobster season has officially begun in Florida, marking the long-awaited return of this popular recreational fishing activity. Below are several important safety tips and rules you should know before you head out on the water. Legal lobsters weigh about 1 pound and have a carapace shell of at…
Mother whose daughter died in 2017 boat crash calls for addition of rescue boats in Florida Keys following multiple incidents earlier this month
When June Smith lost her 13-year-old daughter, Harlie Smith, in a boat crash off of Cudjoe Key in 2017, she said she didn’t realize how unprepared they would be in an emergency, according to reporting from WSVN Miami. “We’ve spent many years down in the Keys and that day, when…
Boy hit, tragically killed by boat propeller over the weekend
A 6-year-old boy was hit and killed by a boat propeller after he went overboard into a Missouri Lake, according to reporting from The Miami Herald Monday. The boy was reportedly knee-boarding on Table Rock Lake in the Ozarks, a man-made lake, around 11 a.m. when he fell in the…
FWC tells boaters to be on the lookout for divers-down flags following several incidents on the water this month
The Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission sent out a public notice urging boaters to keep an eye out for divers-down flags in a month known statistically for a high rate of accidents on the water. In their advisory, FWC encouraged boaters to avoid distraction and watch out for divers-down…