Police say 1 tool could have prevented runaway boat in Sarasota Bay
SARASOTA, Fla. (WFLA) – A Sarasota officer jumped from the agency's marine unit onto an unmanned vessel to bring it to a stop Monday after the operator of the boat was thrown overboard while trying to navigate the wake.
At the time, the boat was traveling at around 40 mph. Police said the operator broke two fingers upon impact with the water.
WATCH: Unmanned boat circles at high speed in Sarasota after boater thrown overboard
'When he came and got his wits about him, he noticed that the boat was actually circling towards him, and according to him, passed within five feet of him, so almost getting struck by his own boat,' said Officer Ron Dixon.
Officer Dixon is a Captain with Marine Patrol, who responded to the scene, finding the boat circling out of control. Until backup arrived, he worked to keep other boaters away from the unmanned vessel.
Other agencies responded and eventually, Lt. Bruce King found himself jumping onto the unmanned vessel to bring it to a stop.
'There really was no anxiety in that job. I calculated it. Ron had it perfectly set up, Mike was holding me, I took the jump,' said Lt. King. 'It wasn't until afterwards that you get the adrenaline dump and say 'Wow, that was pretty neat' and I'm glad we were able to do it without colliding with his boat, with me going overboard, or between the boats. It all worked out really well.'
Officers said one tool could have prevented all of this. It is known as a kill switch or an engine cut-off switch. There is a federal law that requires boat operators to use the device, but because it is the Coast Guard's jurisdiction, local and state officers cannot enforce it.
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Lt. King said they work to encourage and educate boaters about the importance of the tool every chance they get.
'I would probably say over 90% of the people don't wear that cut-off switch,' he said.
In this case, nobody was hurt by the unmanned boat. But responding officers said a case five years ago was in the back of their minds as they responded to this call.
In 2020, 10-year-old Ethan Isaacs' life was cut short after he was struck by his sailing instructor's unmanned boat. Since then, his parents have advocated for boater safety.
Man dies, 10 hurt in Clearwater ferry crash
The family helped pass Ethan's Law, which requires water sports instructors in Florida to wear the engine cut-off switch. The Isaacs' hope to see lawmakers pass another bill requiring all operators to wear the device.
'There were 16 other kids in the water that day that Ethan lost his life and he was doing exactly what he was supposed to be doing. He was wearing his life jacket, he was in his sailboat, he was following instructions and yet he still lost his life because someone was not wearing the engine cut-off switch. We can all think it is not gonna happen to me, we didn't think it was going to happen to our son and yet it did,' Ethan's mother, Mindy Isaacs, said.
She hopes to see the engine cut-off switch prioritized when it comes to boater safety, like a seatbelt is in cars.
His father wants to remind boaters that the tool not only protects boat operators, but everyone around them.
'In the video, you can see the danger that law enforcement was in just to bring this boat to a stop. That is not necessary. It is not just your own life you are protecting, it is many other people,' said Greg Isaacs.
The Sarasota Police Department wants to remind all boaters to always wear a life jacket and properly utilize the emergency engine cut-off switch to prevent accidents and injuries on the water.
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