Divers broke records this year in an annual competition to remove invasive lionfish from Florida waters, according to a Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission press release. The 2024 Lionfish Season concluded with a record-breaking 31,773 species being pulled from the water. Just under 300 divers went on over 700…
Articles Posted in “Leesfield & Partners”
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…
Helicopter Stops Speeding Boat from Hitting Swimmers, Preventing a ‘Mass Casualty Disaster,’ Officials Say
A speeding boat gunning for hundreds of swimmers and kayakers participating in a local event in Islamorada Saturday was stopped by a Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission helicopter. “From our angle, he was the only thing stopping that boat from going across all of those people,” Capt. Matt Bellinger,…
Southwest Florida County Reports Spike in Legionnaires’ Disease with three happening within the same community, neighbors say.
About eight cases of Legionnaires’ Disease have been reported recently in Lee County, tallying 48 cases so far this year within the Southwest Florida community. About three of the eight occurred within the same neighborhood after three women were reported to have pulled weeds in their garden, according to reporting…
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…
Woman who posted on social media about sister’s injury on cruise ship dance floor gets attention of global news outlet. Here’s what she had to say
A woman whose sister is on the line for an $8,000 medical bill after shattering her ankle on a cruise ship’s dance floor is warning other passengers to buy medical insurance, according to reporting from The Daily Mail. The sisters were traveling from Queensland to New South Wales on a…
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…
Fire Monday at Key West Marina damages boats. Fire Safety Tips to Know to Protect You and Your Family
A fire that broke out Monday at a Key West Marina left at least three boats heavily damaged, officials say. Firefighters were called out to Robbie’s Marina of Key West on 7281 Shrimp Rd. at around 9:30 p.m. and took a little less than four hours to be extinguished. At…