Key West Injury Lawyer Blog
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 water. The operator of the boat circled back for the boy and, as he attempted to swim back to the vessel, he was caught by the propeller while the boat was still in reverse. The boy was pronounced dead at the scene by a Deputy Coroner.
A woman in Central Florida who went overboard on a Pontoon boat last week was killed after being hit by the boat’s propeller. Two weeks ago, the Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission issued a public notice to alert boaters to safety tips regarding divers-down flags ahead of the start of the lobster mini-season. This comes as boaters and personal watercraft users saw back-to-back incidents on the water in the Florida Keys at the beginning of the month which resulted in the injury of at least eight people including a child and the death of one other person. On July 14, a crash involving a 42-foot boat and a jet ski resulted in the death of at least one person.
Past Cases
Leesfield & Partners has represented thousands of injured clients and their loved ones following a tragic incident on the water. In the firm’s 48-year history operating out of offices in Orlando, Miami-Dade County and Key West, Leesfield & Partners has seen horrible cases of preventable accidents on the water including the death of a young boy hit and killed by a passing speed boat being driven by another child.
In a state that leads the country with the most registered vessels, it is important to note the seriousness of operating such a watercraft. Attorneys with the firm have seen time and time again how quickly a day out on the water can become a family’s worst nightmare either at the hands of intoxicated or inexperienced boaters.
Leesfield & Partners represented the family of a young woman who died after the speedboat she was on crashed into a concrete dock at night. An investigation by attorneys revealed that the driver of the boat was not only speeding but had also been drinking the night of her death. She, and other passengers on the boat, were thrown into the water.
Attorneys were able to secure a confidential settlement of over $1 million with multiple defendants for the woman’s grieving family.
Another case handled by the firm resulted in a $1.7 million award for the family of a diver who was killed by a minor driving his parents’ boat. The diver had flags out to alert passing boaters in the area to his presence. The minor did not stop after he hit the diver but was later caught. Neighbors testified that the teen boater had recklessly driven the vessel in the past.
In the firm’s decades of personal injury practice, jet ski rentals have proven to be the most dangerous and lethal recreational activity on the water. Leesfield & Partners represented the family of a woman killed on a rented jet ski and secured a $2 million settlement amount for her death in that case. A California tourist visiting Florida with his family was severely injured following a crash with a concrete bridge piling due to the negligence and recklessness of two jet ski tour guides. The guides failed to warn the family about dangerous conditions in the area as they sped ahead of them.
What To Do
Boating should be a fun and safe activity for all involved, however, statistics from the FWC’s annual boating incident report show that, sometimes, that is not always the case. In all of Florida, Monroe County crash and incident data showed that it was the area with the most incidents on the water in 2023. For that area, the numbers showed there were approximately 87 incidents on the water with three fatalities and 62 injuries. Of the data collected for that year, 83% of boaters involved in boat crashes and accidents on Florida waters in 2023 had no formal boating education or safety training. Of the fatal accidents taking place throughout the state in that year, 29% resulted from a crash with a fixed object and 25% happened after a person went overboard.
Numerous organizations offer free and regularly scheduled boating safety courses that boaters should take advantage of. While this training is no sure-fire way to protect yourself and your family from incidents on the water, it can help prepare you for an emergency. Below are several boating and water safety tips to note.
- Never drink and boat
- Never let passengers jump into the water or swim near the boat while the engine is on. When preparing to get in the water, make sure that the engine is off, that the propeller has stopped turning and that the keys have been removed.
- Always check the water depth before jumping in
- Check the weather before heading out on the water
- Always wear a lifejacket while out on the water.
- Children should never be permitted to drive the boat.
- Never leave children unattended while on the boat.
- Never go out boating without telling someone where you are planning to go and at what time you will be back. This is so that, if you are not back by the time you said you would be, authorities can be notified right away and can begin their search as quickly as possible in the area where you might be having an emergency.
- Always keep emergency equipment such as fire extinguishers, distress signals and first-aid kits on board.
- Take a boating safety course.
- If someone goes overboard, turn off the engine and throw them a floatation device. Approach the person using the current or from downwind and only approach them once the engine has been turned off.
