Latest news with #boatingaccident
Daily Mail
20 hours ago
- Climate
- Daily Mail
Fatal mistakes made by eight Lake Tahoe boat passengers who drowned when their vessel capsized
The eight victims of the tragic Lake Tahoe boating accident were not wearing life jackets and made no distress calls when their vessel capsized. Ten boaters aboard a 28-foot gold Chris-Craft vessel set out from the California side of Lake Tahoe last month, eager to enjoy a sun-drenched day on the water for a 71st birthday celebration. But the day turned fatal when a sudden, powerful storm erupted over the lake - unleashing eight-foot waves, pounding hail and torrential rain - and struck without warning and ultimately capsized their boat, claiming eight lives. A preliminary report released Wednesday by the National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB) revealed that only the two survivors were wearing flotation devices, and no distress call was made when a wave inundated their luxury boat, according to The San Francisco Chronicle. On the morning of June 21st, the conditions outside were perfect for a carefree weekend outing - clear skies, gentle breezes and steadily rising temperatures. Despite a slight chance of rain and thunderstorms - a common occurrence for seasoned boaters - hundreds still took to the water that day. But something shifted around 2pm - some boaters spotted whitecaps forming on the water, while others noticed the wind suddenly picking up, blowing fiercely from the north, as reported by The Los Angeles Times. According to the new report, the ten boaters were anchored at Emerald Bay when the boat's operator decided to leave the area as weather conditions began to worsen. But as they made their way back, according to one survivor, the waves and wind intensified, and marble-sized hail began accumulating in the boat, as reported by SF Chronicle. In an attempt to halt the unfolding chaos, the driver activated two bilge pumps - each capable of removing up to 1,100 gallons per hour - according to the report. From that moment, conditions deteriorated rapidly, transforming a calm day into a desperate race against time and nature - as eight-foot waves, 30-knot winds and hail engulfed the lake within just minutes. The engine of the ill-fated vessel failed approximately 50 to 100 yards from shore, near D.L. Bliss State Park. Once the boat came to a stop, some passengers tried to bail out water - but their efforts were overwhelmed as a large wave crashed over the side. According to Wednesday's report, one of the two survivors quickly put on a life jacket and began handing them out to others on board - but no one else immediately put theirs on. Moments later, the boat capsized, throwing all 10 passengers into the frigid 54-degree water. One survivor told investigators that it had begun to snow, according to the outlet. At around 3pm, a group of hikers called 911 and reported seeing a group in the water after their boat rolled over - all while waves in the area at the time were around eight-feet high. According to Wednesday's report, one of the two survivors quickly put on a life jacket and began handing them out to others on board - but no one else immediately put theirs on A hiker and a California State Parks lifeguard helped rescue the two survivors from the water - one was wearing a flotation device, while the other was clinging to one, according to the report. A massive search-and-rescue operation involving multiple agencies was quickly launched to locate the remaining boaters, including North Tahoe Fire, California State Parks, the Washoe County Sheriff's Office and the United States Coast Guard. The recovery operations also required advanced divers and specialized teams, including Wilderness Finder Search Dog Teams. Six bodies were recovered on the surface of the water near the capsized boat shortly after the storm. The following day, the Washoe County Sheriff's Office responded to a request from the El Dorado County Sheriff's Office to assist in recovering the two remaining victims. The victims of the disaster were identified as: Paula Bozinovich, 71, Terry Pickles, 73, Joshua Antony Pickles, 37, Peter Bayes, 72, Timothy O'Leary, 71, Theresa Giullari, 66, James Guck, 69 and Stephen Lindsay, 63. The survivors were identified as Amy Friduss and her mother, Julie Lindsay - both from New York - who were treated at a hospital for hypothermia and other injuries, according to SF Chronicle. At the accident site, investigators recovered four life jackets and a single life ring, according to the report. Additional flotation devices were later discovered on the boat - some still in their original plastic packaging with tags attached, others tucked away in storage compartments, unused. The boat - which was called Over the Moon - was registered to California and valued at $393,000. The seating capacity was equipped for 12 passengers. As part of the preliminary report, investigators interviewed one survivor, a lifeguard, several witnesses, Good Samaritans and other boating personnel who were involved in the response, as reported by the outlet. The report also noted that investigators examined the boat - salvaged from the lake the day after the incident - and found no evidence of a hull breach, grounding or collision with any object. Among those who lost their lives was 37-year-old DoorDash executive Josh Pickles, along with his parents - 73-year-old Terry Pickles and 71-year-old Paula Bozinovich. Pickles' wife had stayed home taking care of their seven-month-old daughter at the time of the disaster, according to Fox News. The group was celebrating his mother's 71st birthday on Lake Tahoe. Two other victims were also from California: Josh Pickles' uncle, 72-year-old Peter Bayes, and 71-year-old Timothy O'Leary. The three remaining victims - 66-year-old Theresa Giullari, 69-year-old James Guck and 63-year-old Stephen Lindsay - were visiting from New York. 'These individuals were part of a closely connected family group enjoying a birthday gathering on the lake,' the El Dorado County Sheriff's Office said in a June 24 statement. 'We extend our deepest heartfelt condolences to the families of those who were lost and all those who have been affected by this tragic event.'
Daily Mail
a day ago
- Daily Mail
San Diego boat captain slams into US warship
A San Diego man was arrested after crashing his 65-foot vessel into the USS Midway and allegedly fleeing while under the influence. Frank D'Anna, 40, was driving his private boat, dubbed the Offshore Lifestyle, when the watercraft collided head-on with the port side of the decommissioned aircraft carrier just before 2 pm on Friday. A viral video of the crash - captured by WarshipCam - shows the unbelievable moment the vessel collided with the historic warship in broad daylight. D'Anna's significantly smaller motor vessel can be seen approaching the monstrous aircraft carrier head-on before the destructive crash. The private vessel, allegedly manned by a liquored-up captain, left a visible dent in the hull of the USS Midway, which now serves as a floating naval museum and one of San Diego's top tourist attractions. The crash caused an estimated $100,000 in damage, including repainting and repairs to the ship's corrosion prevention system, a spokesperson for the USS Midway told Fox News. Despite the damage, no injuries were reported and the suspect's vessel sustained only minor damage and was not at risk of sinking. Authorities said the boat fled the scene following the collision but was intercepted in the San Diego Bay near the Coronado Ferry Landing. The boat's operator was later arrested after all seven individuals aboard the vessel were questioned by the police and identified D'Anna as the boat's driver at the time of the crash. The damaging crash has also raised concerns among locals and tourists about maritime safety. 'I mean it's sad,' James Hickson, a downtown resident of the iconic Southern California city, told 10News. 'If drunk driving is the case, it's pretty sad that you would make that decision to put a lot of folks in danger.' Jagjit Bhambra, a Navy veteran visiting the Midway, questioned how such an incident could happen in daylight. 'I think we need to examine who was the captain of the little boat, why was he so close, how he did not notice such a massive ship in front of him,' Bhambra said. His wife, Mary Bhambra, suggested security upgrades may be warranted. 'It's a famous ship. Maybe a fence around it or something like that… a lookout for approaching hazards,' she said. The Port of San Diego and USS Midway Museum have not issued additional public statements as the investigation remains ongoing. The USS Midway is one of the most iconic features of San Diego Harbor, attracting millions of visitors annually. Named after the pivotal June 1942 Battle of Midway, the USS Midway was built in just 17 months and commissioned on September 10, 1945, just one week after World War II ended. As the lead ship in a three-carrier class, it featured an armored flight deck and carried up to 120 aircrafts.
CBS News
3 days ago
- CBS News
Family pushes for justice after North Texas man nearly cut in half on family vacation to the Bahamas
While a North Texas man nearly cut in half by a boat during a family trip to the Bahamas remains hospitalized in Miami, his wife is urging Bahamian authorities to arrest and charge those responsible, as the family continues to navigate his recovery weeks after the incident and hopes he can soon return to North Texas. Brent Slough, the 42-year-old former Army Ranger who was run over by a boat in the Bahamas, had another surgery last week to address wounds that are too deep to suture. "He is doing ok after that surgery," his wife, Whitney Slough, said. "So, we are now trying to figure out our plan of when we can get transferred to Dallas and what that looks like." All the while, Whitney Slough continues to push for authorities in the Bahamas to arrest and charge the men on the boat. Whitney Slough said her husband and their two daughters were snorkeling only about 20 feet from the beach when a small boat appeared along the shoreline. "I saw this boat speeding so close to shore, and I was like, 'what the hell?'" Whitney Slough said. "I felt like a thump thump, and I was like, 'did I just get hit by a boat?'" said Brent Slough. Brent Slough almost had the lower half of his body sliced off by the propeller blade as it plowed over him. "His bottom was almost completely detached from his legs," said Whitney Slough. "My left leg wasn't functioning, and I felt like something was wrong with my lower body," Brent Slough said. The trauma amplified when the couple's teenage daughter had to rescue her father with a float. Meanwhile, the boat, captured on a security camera, kept going. "So I surfaced and I looked to my right and I see two guys in a boat and one of them looks back and they just keep on going," Brent Slough said. What followed was a harrowing trip in the back of a truck to an ambulance jet that would take Brent Slough to a hospital in the U.S. "The doctor told me, 'please get to a hospital in Miami, you need to get to the U.S. for something this traumatic,'" said Brent Slough. While he faces several more days in Miami, his wife has been shuttling between there and North Texas, where their children are preparing to return to school. She is also continuing to put pressure on authorities in the Bahamas to criminally charge the occupants of the boat. Whitney Slough said those three men have been identified and were briefly in custody but have since been released. She hopes those who support her husband will help the effort to put pressure on authorities in the Bahamas to take action. "I don't know what I should really say about this, but I feel like the more people that are calling them, the better to keep this front and center, so they really pursue criminal charges against these men that did this to Brent," said Whitney Slough. "I want justice for Brent." Friends of the family continue to collect donations to help with medical expenses, including an air ambulance that will be needed to return Brent Slough to North Texas, which could come as soon as next week.
News.com.au
4 days ago
- General
- News.com.au
Baby whale struck by boat off NSW coast
Extraordinary drone footage has captured the moment a boat hits a baby whale off the coast of NSW. Content creator Michael Hatte was tracking two southern right whales – a mother and calf – as they migrated north past the Illawarra region on Saturday. His footage, taken at Stanwell Park, shows the calf swimming behind its mother when a small boat carrying three people comes into view. The boat drives straight over the calf, with the impact knocking the vessel's three occupants off their feet. 'I had already stopped filming but could see the boat heading straight for the pair that were just below the surface,' Mr Hatte, who gave permission to use his video, wrote. 'I pressed record and captured the whole event, which is literally 3 seconds long. 'Bub moving it's head just at the right time, impact could have been devastating!' Mr Hatte had been whale watching with his wife and called the organisation for the Rescue and Research of Cetaceans (ORRCA) to report the incident. 'Followed bub for as long as I could, no signs of injury and actually went back to feeding and playing with Seaweed not long after in some very shallow water,' he wrote on social media. Whales are protected under NSW laws and boats must stay 100m away from adult whales and 300m away when calves are present. For jetskis it's 300m at all times. ORRCA had been tracking the duo as they moved along the NSW coastline, and believed the older whale was also hit by a boat near Merimbula on the South Coast earlier this month. In a post on its Facebook on Saturday, ORRCA said the mother 'carries a vessel strike injury on her flank, likely caused by a boat propeller'. 'With her injury, this mother is already facing additional challenges, making it even more important that she and her calf are given space & quiet as they travel. 'Southern Right Whales rely on sheltered coastal bays to rest and feed their young, and they need to do this without interference.' Its spokesperson, Pip Jacobs, told the ABC the baby appeared to have recovered and the two whales were seen in Sydney Harbour on Sunday. 'Vessel strikes can be fatal … but we're pleased to confirm that mum and baby seem to be doing well,' she said. 'These whales are particularly difficult to spot from the water, so they're often in the way of boats who don't know they're there. 'We know no one wants to hit a whale.'
Yahoo
5 days ago
- Yahoo
16-Year-Old Boy Dies in Freak Boating Accident After Hitting Partially Submerged Log: 'He Loved Big'
NEED TO KNOW A 16-year-old boy died after he hit a partially submerged log while riding a tube on a private pond in Missouri Truston Alexander was remembered after the freak accident as having "that country boy charm" "He never met a stranger, and if you were lucky enough for him to let you in … he loved big," his family saidA 16-year-old boy died in a freak boating accident in Missouri. Truston Alexander was riding a tube on a private pond in Butler County at around 9:30 p.m. local time on Tuesday, July 15, when he was thrown and hit a partially submerged log in the water, local outlets KFVS and the Daily American Republic reported. Alexander was taken to Poplar Bluff Hospital with serious injuries and later airlifted to another hospital in Memphis, Tenn., where he died on Wednesday, July 16. A report from the Missouri State Highway Patrol (MSHP) that was obtained by KFVS said another 16-year-old boy was driving the boat at the time of the incident. Troopers with the Highway Patrol told the outlet that neither of the teens were wearing a life jacket while on the boat. Alexander's funeral service was held on Saturday, July 19, according to an online obituary. The teen was remembered as an active member of his community, for working at a local restaurant, attending youth group at his church and for being an avid golfer, both at school and at his country club. Alexander, a hunter, ATV rider and traveler, "enjoyed music, but only the first 30 seconds of a song," the obituary added. "Above all else, Truston was ... respectful, witty, knowledgeable, adventurous, duck hunt lovin', golf playin', and has that country boy charm," it continued. "He never met a stranger, and if you were lucky enough for him to let you in ... he loved big." Alexander is survived by his parents, a brother and sister, grandparents, aunts, uncles and cousins, as well as "golf buddies, hunting buddies and friends."Never miss a story — sign up for to stay up-to-date on the best of what PEOPLE has to offer, from celebrity news to compelling human interest stories. According to data from Missouri State Highway Patrol Troop E, the incident marks the first boating fatality in the area. Read the original article on People
