Latest news with #SeaTow
Yahoo
25-05-2025
- Yahoo
On board with Sea Tow: Ride along Memorial Day Weekend
TAMPA, Fla. (WFLA) — As boaters gear up for one of the busiest weekends on the water, we joined Sea Tow Tampa Bay to learn what every captain should know before setting sail. From essential gear to potentially dangerous mistakes, safety is front and center. 'It's one of our busiest days,' Sea Tow crew members said during a recent ride-along, referring to Memorial Day weekend. Sea Tow operates 24/7, patrolling the waterways and responding to distress calls across Tampa Bay. Their crews are constantly on alert and ready to assist when things go wrong, which they often do. 'Operating a boat is a lot different than operating a vehicle,' explained Captain Stephen Vigilante. 'We have two throttles up front and a steering wheel—but boats don't have brakes. That makes a huge difference.' Vigilante warns that Memorial Day weekend is no time to take shortcuts. Knowing the waterways is essential, especially during low tide. 'It's dangerous if you don't know the waterway. Watching the tides is crucial,' he said. While you're enjoying time on the water, first responders urge you to make a safe part of your plan. One important law: if you're operating a vessel under 26 feet on plane, you must wear a kill switch. 'We had an event a few weeks ago where someone wasn't wearing a kill switch, fell overboard, and we had a runaway boat in Sarasota Bay,' Chief Derek Waters with the coast guard said. And finally, don't forget the basics. Just like first responders, Sea Tow reminds everyone: make sure every person on board wears a life jacket. It could save a life. Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.
Miami Herald
30-04-2025
- Miami Herald
‘Coastal cowboys.' Cop wrangles runaway boat when driver falls off, FL video shows
When a boater was thrown overboard, his unmanned vessel was left circling off the coast of Florida at nearly 40 mph as authorities struggled to stop it from afar. That's when a police lieutenant jumped on. According to the Sarasota Police Department, the operator was on his way back from a boat show April 28 when a larger vessel cut in front of his 26-foot boat, creating a wake that threw him overboard. He wasn't wearing an engine cut-off switch, so the boat kept going without anyone behind the controls, stuck going in circles at a high speed, police said. U.S. Coast Guard officials said a Good Samaritan picked up the overthrown boater, who wasn't wearing a life jacket either. The Coast Guard worked with two police departments, the Sarasota County Sheriff's Office and SeaTow to control the boat, but their attempts to stall the engine by throwing tow lines didn't stop it. SeaTow managed to throw a rope that slowed the vessel down enough so police officers could try a more hands-on approach. Video shared by the Sarasota Police Department shows the agency's marine unit pull up alongside the runaway boat and match the speed as a lieutenant crouched on the edge. When the vessels were lined up just right, he jumped onto the runaway boat, quickly bringing the throttle down. Footage of the boat wrangling gained traction on social media, with Instagram users likening the officers to 'coastal cowboys' doing 'salt water cowboy stuff.' 'Not gonna lie I know this is super dangerous and an incredible feat the officers pulled off here, but, it looks really fun,' one user commented on a video reposted by the Qualified Captain account. The police department commended the officers who participated. 'And after it's all said and done, with everyone safe and unharmed, and no damage to any vessel—we can look back and enjoy a little excitement… Mission Impossible style,' the agency said. Neither of the boats involved sustained any damage during the operation. Authorities said the incident is a good reminder to wear a life jacket and engine cut-off switch, which boat operators can attach to their clothes to disable the vessel in case they go overboard. All boat drivers are required to wear an engine cut-off switch while operating a vessel under 26 feet, according to the Coast Guard.
Yahoo
30-04-2025
- Yahoo
Police who boarded unmanned Sarasota boat stress importance of using engine cut-off switches
The Brief Sarasota police chased down and boarded an out-of-control unmanned boat Monday. The boat's operator was not utilizing the boat's emergency engine cut-off switch, according to police. Police are using Monday's incident as a teaching opportunity to stress the importance of using engine cut-off switches. SARASOTA, Fla. - The officers in Sarasota who chased down and boarded an unmanned, out-of-control boat on Monday are using it to show why emergency engine cut-off switches are so important. The officers were able to turn off the engine before a possible disaster. A large wake threw the vessel's operator overboard as the boat was traveling about 40 mph. "There were three vessels that departed from Marina Jack," said Officer Ron Dixon, a captain with the Sarasota Police Department's Marine Patrol. "They were headed back to their home port. The operator that was on the smaller boat that got thrown off was behind a larger boat that had cut in front of him. While he was navigating that wake, he maybe had turned a little too hard and was actually thrown off of the vessel." What they're saying "Obviously, he was a little dazed by that. When he 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," said Dixon. PREVIOUS: Florida officer leaps onto runaway boat after man thrown overboard The operator of the 26-foot Everglades vessel broke two fingers in his left hand from the impact with the water. According to Sarasota police, he wasn't wearing a life jacket or utilizing the emergency engine cut-off switch. "He was very apologetic. He was very happy that he was alive and uninjured, just, you know, just his left hand," Dixon said. "These emergency cut-off switches are so important. If he would have been wearing one, none of this would have happened." If a vessel operator falls overboard, an emergency cut-off switch immediately turns the engine off. According to Dixon, wireless and Bluetooth cut-off switches are also available. Timeline The incident happened in the middle of the Intracoastal Waterway north of the Ringling Museum. Dixon said he was on scene in about five minutes, and his first priority was to keep all other boaters away from the area. He said no one realized initially that the boat was unmanned. "That vessel was traveling 40 miles per hour. By itself, it could have T-boned any of the many vessels that were transiting through the area," Dixon said. "It was a very, very dangerous situation there in the beginning." He called for backup, which included Lieutenant Bruce King. READ: Clearwater Ferry crash: Jannus Live owner's attorney addresses 'misinformation' as investigation unfolds The Sarasota Police Marine Unit, the Coast Guard, the Sarasota County Sheriff's Office, Venice Police Department and SeaTow worked together to try several times to slow the vessel's motor with towlines. Those attempts were unsuccessful. Then, SeaTow deployed a plasma towline that slightly slowed the vessel. "That little bit was enough to say let's try it again [hopping aboard the boat]," King said. King said his gut told him the first attempt wasn't right before that. "The boat was doing circles. It was not doing a perfect circle. So, it was migrating kind of in a northeast direction," King said, describing the second attempt. "It would have eventually hit somebody or someone. So, we took our shot, and I wouldn't have done it with anybody else but Ron Dixon or Michael Skinner. Our two boat captains are very skilled." Dixon maneuvered close enough to the vessel for King to hop on board and shut it off. "I calculated it. Ron had it perfectly set up. Mike was holding me. I took the jump, and it wasn't until afterward that, you know, you get the adrenaline dump and say, 'Wow, that was pretty neat," King said. "We had to do something because this boat was going to hit somebody or someone at some point," King said. "This happens a lot, too much, and unfortunately for local and state agencies, we are unable to enforce when they're not wearing it [the cut-off switch]," Dixon said. "That's a federal law. Coast Guard can write them [up], but us being out there and seeing it all the time, we educate, and that's about all we can do." The federal law requires operators of recreational boats under 26 feet long to use an engine cut-off switch. Prior Incidents Dixon also responded to a similar incident in 2020 that tragically took the life of 10-year-old Ethan Isaacs. He was out with Sarasota Youth Sailing when, the FWC said, his instructor fell off his boat and wasn't wearing an emergency cut-off switch. That boat ran into Ethan and killed him. "He was in the sixth grade and a really smart, joyful kid, just full of life and wanted to be a geologist one day," said Mindy Isaacs, Ethan's mom. "It's really just not worth the risk of losing a child. I mean, that day that Ethan was on the water, there were 16 other kids on the water in the area. I don't think people really realize often, too, the danger of a propeller," said Mindy Isaacs. READ: Family of Clearwater Ferry crash victim mourns loss as investigation continues: 'We need justice' "I mean, my dad described it like a saw in the water, and it's lurking under the water. It's not something that you always see when you're out on the water, and you're in the boat, but to really understand that when that boat becomes, you know, unmanned, no one is controlling it, and you have something similar to a saw in the water, that the damage, potential damage that it could cause," said Mindy Isaacs. Ethan's Law went into effect in 2022 and mandates that boating instructors and coaches on vessels 26 feet or smaller must wear an engine cut-off switch in Florida. His parents say an engine cut-off switch should be a requirement for all boat operators. "It's very upsetting," said Greg Isaacs, Ethan's dad, about Monday's incident. "It's sort of triggering when that happens. The engine cut-off switch should be like your seatbelt. You should automatically put it on every time you start the engine on a boat. It really could save your life, and as we saw yesterday, a lot of the first responders ended up risking their lives to bring the boat into control." "Ethan, we know, would have made a difference in the world, just given, you know, his intellect and who he was as a person, and he would be someone that would consider other people's safety," said Mindy Isaacs. "So, it is really sad to think that, you know, this had to happen when it could have been prevented." Big picture view Officers who responded to Monday's incident said they had just gone to a training session for this type of maneuver two weeks ago. They said if you see an unmanned boat out of control, get out of the area, warn others and call 911. CLICK HERE:>>>Follow FOX 13 on YouTube The Source FOX 13's Kailey Tracy collected the information in this story. WATCH FOX 13 NEWS: STAY CONNECTED WITH FOX 13 TAMPA: Download the FOX Local app for your smart TV Download FOX Local mobile app: Apple | Android Download the FOX 13 News app for breaking news alerts, latest headlines Download the SkyTower Radar app Sign up for FOX 13's daily newsletter
Yahoo
29-04-2025
- Yahoo
WATCH: Unmanned boat circles at high speed off Florida after boater thrown overboard
SARASOTA, Fla. (WFLA) — A terrifying situation was caught on camera as an unmanned vessel circled in Florida waters Monday afternoon when a boater went overboard. On Monday, members of the Sarasota Marine Unit responded to a boating incident north of the Ringling Museum regarding a boater in distress. Man dies, 10 hurt in Clearwater ferry hit-and-run crash The boater was thought to have fallen overboard his 26-foot Everglades vessel, leaving it spinning in circles at 40 mph. With the help of the Coast Guard, the sheriff's office, Venice police and SeaTow, officials attempted to foul the boat's motor with tow lines. When that strategy failed, SeaTow deployed a plasma tow line to slow the boat down. Video captured from Officer Dixon's patrol vessel shows authorities maneuvering alongside the vessel, after the situation required them to jump from their patrol boat to bring the unmanned one to a halt. Lieutenant King can be seen jumping ship and stopping the circling vessel. WATCH: Deadly Clearwater ferry hit-and-run crash caught on camera The unmanned boat's operator told officers he was returning the boat after the weekend's Boat Show at Marina Jack when a larger boat cut him off, according to the report. Trying to navigate the wake, the operator said he was thrown overboard. Police said the man was not wearing a life jacket and did not use the emergency cut-off switch. The operator only sustained minor injuries from the incident. No damage was reported for the man's boat or the responding law enforcement boats. Sarasota police are using this situation to remind boaters to always wear a life jacket and to use their emergency engine cut-off to prevent accidents or injury. Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.
Yahoo
29-04-2025
- Yahoo
WATCH: Unmanned boat circles at high speed in Sarasota after boater thrown overboard
SARASOTA, Fla. (WFLA) — A terrifying situation was caught on camera of an unmanned vessel circling in Sarasota waters Monday afternoon after a boater went overboard. On Monday, members of the Sarasota Marine Unit responded to a boating incident north of the Ringling Museum regarding a boater in distress. Man dies, 10 hurt in Clearwater ferry hit-and-run crash The boater was thought to have fallen overboard his 26-foot Everglades vessel, leaving it spinning in circles at 40 mph. With the help of the Coast Guard, the sheriff's office, Venice police and SeaTow, officials attempted to foul the boat's motor with tow lines. When that strategy failed, SeaTow deployed a plasma tow line to slow the boat down. Video captured from Officer Dixon's patrol vessel shows authorities maneuvering alongside the vessel, after the situation required them to jump from their patrol boat to bring the unmanned one to a halt. Lieutenant King can be seen jumping ship and stopping the circling vessel. WATCH: Deadly Clearwater ferry hit-and-run crash caught on camera The unmanned boat's operator told officers he was returning the boat after the weekend's Boat Show at Marina Jack when a larger boat cut him off, according to the report. Trying to navigate the wake, the operator said he was thrown overboard. Police said the man was not wearing a life jacket and did not use the emergency cut-off switch. The operator only sustained minor injuries from the incident. No damage was reported for the man's boat or the responding law enforcement boats. Sarasota police are using this situation to remind boaters to always wear a life jacket and to use their emergency engine cut-off to prevent accidents or injury. Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.
