Articles Posted in Boating Accidents

We have the luxury of living a snow-free lifestyle.

But, while we get to dismiss the dangers that are associated with snow and ice, we get to continually welcome to dangers associated with fun in the sun — and that includes boating accidents.

According to the Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission, about 60 percent of the boating accidents that happened in the state of Florida throughout the entire year of 2011 happened in 10 counties. Lee, unfortunately, was one of those counties. We were ranked as the 5th most dangerous county in the state for boating accidents.

Our Fort Myers boating accident lawyers understand that there were close to 40 reported boating accidents in Lee County in 2011. In these accidents, 1 person died and close to 20 were injured. The only counties that were worse off than us were Monroe County, Miami-Dade County, Palm Beach County and Broward County.

In Lee County, the most common type of vessel involved in boating accidents were open motorboats, followed by cabin motorboats and personal watercraft. The number one cause of these incidents was machinery failure, followed by weather and then operator inattention. The most common type of accident endured by boaters in the area was flooding, followed closely by collisions with fixed objects and collisions with other vessels.

When looking at a map of boating accidents in Lee County, you can clearly see that they most commonly happened along Fort Myers Beach and in the Caloosahatchee River.

In most boating accidents in the area, victims who were fatally wounded were not wearing a life jacket at the time of the accident. Less than 30 percent of boat operators and occupants were reportedly wearing personal flotation devices when an accident occurred.

Formal boat training is one of the most important safety precautions you can take to help to prevent a boating accident. In reported accidents, only about a third of boat operators had any sort of formal boating training.

Boaters are asked to pay close attention to the surrounding. Operator inattention and carelessness are two of the top causes of boating accidents in the state of Florida.

You’re also reminded to always wear your life jacket and make sure there is one for each person on your boat. To meet U.S. Coast Guard requirements, a boat must have a U.S. Coast Guard-approved Type I, II, III, or V life jacket for each person aboard.

You’re also urged to get your Boater Safety Education Card. If you were born on or after January 1st of 1988, then you are required to have a Boating Safety Education ID Card. Only if you have one of these cards are you legally allowed to operate a boat in Florida.
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In 2011, there were nearly 750 people who were killed in boating accidents in the state of Florida.

Many of these accidents could have been prevented. According to accident reports, nearly 55 percent of the victims who were killed in these accidents were not wearing a life jacket when the accident happened. It’s like riding in a car. You’re always urged to wear a seat belt. The same should be true on the water — you wear a life jacket.

Most boaters think that it’s good enough to have life jackets stored in the boat. The truth of the matter is that boaters are not always able to locate and put on the life jacket in enough time when an accident happens.

“Sinking boats usually go down fast, and people who have been ejected often end up unconscious, so it’s extremely important that people wear the life jacket, or at the very least, have it readily accessible,” said Joy Hill, with the Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission.

Our Fort Myers boating accident attorneys understand that boaters are required to make sure that there is at least one properly fitted, U.S. Coast Guard-approved life jacket for each person that’s on a boat. Kids who are under the age of 6 are required to wear a life jacket at all times.

Unfortunately, many boaters don’t abide by these laws. Many boaters say that life jackets are hot and bothersome and choose to jeopardize their safety instead. Luckily, life jackets are getting more and more advanced. They are now lightweight, inflatable life jackets that may help to ease some of the comfort concerns. Jackets are now considerably smaller than they used to be and now some of them will even inflate once you hit the water so that you don’t have to worry about the bulkiness beforehand.

In the state of Florida, nearly 60 percent of the reported boating accidents from 2011 were reported in 10 Florida counties — including Lee and Collier counties
2011 Boating Accidents in Lee County:

-Open Motorboat: 22
-Cabin Motorboat: 9
-Personal Watercraft: 5
-Pontoon Boat: 5
-Sail (aux power): 3
-Not specified: 2
-Houseboat: 1
In these accidents, the most common cause was machinery failure, followed by weather, operator inattention, carelessness, excessive speed and congested waters. Most of these accidents were flooding accidents. But many others were caused from collisions with fixed objects and other vessels in addition to fires and explosions.

2011 Boating Accidents in Collier County:

-Open Motorboat: 15
-Airboat: 7
-Personal Watercraft: 4
-Sail (aux power): 4
-Cabin Motorboat: 2
-Other: 2
-Not Specified: 2
-Canoe/Kayak: 2
-Mini Jet Boat: 1
-Pontoon Boat: 1 Continue reading ›

This is the second part of our two-part blog series in which we are discussing the commonality of boating accidents in Fort Myers and elsewhere throughout the state. The most recent state statistics provided by the Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission indicate that there were nearly 70 boating-related fatalities on our waterways in 2009. There were nearly 80 in 2010. Florida ranked number one for the year, followed by California with nearly 50 fatalities. Florida has the most registered vessels in the country, with nearly 942,000 in 2010. Of the near 80 fatalities, Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission investigated nearly 90 percent of them, while officials from sheriff’s offices looked into about 8 percent and police investigated about 3 percent.

There were fewer registered vessels in 2010 than in 2009, but there were more fatalities reported. Our Fort Myers boat accident attorneys understand that the most dangerous months on our waterways are May, July and November, but boaters are asked to practice caution all year round. Most boating accidents in 2010 occurred between 4 and 5:59 p.m.

Most common Florida Boating Fatal Accidents:

-Falling overboard: 26.

-Colliding with another vessel: 9.

-Flooding (Swamping): 8.

-Collision with a fixed object: 4.

-Fall in boat: 2.

-Skier hit object: 2.

-Fall on personal watercraft: 1.

-Collision with a person/falling object: 1.

-Grounding: 1.

Locations of fatal accidents:

-Lake/pond: 21.

-River/creek: 14.

-Bay/sound: 13.

-Ocean/Gulf: 10.

-Canal/cut: 6.

-Inlet/pass: 4.

-Port/harbor: 3.

-Other: 2.

Most of these accidents occurred on propeller vessels in 12 to 16 feet of water. Open motorboats were the most likely to be in an accident. Operators between the age of 35 and 50 were most likely to get into a fatal accident, yet operators between the ages of 22 and 35 were most likely to navigate the water without formal boater education even though they were the second highest group to have boating education. Boating is a popular activity for this age group.

Florida residents accounted for 90 percent of the boating-related fatalities in 2010. Non-residents accounted for the remaining victims. Alcohol or drug-related accidents accounted for nearly a quarter of all fatal accidents.

The most dangerous counties in Florida for fatal boating accidents:

-Monroe County: 103 accidents.

-Miami-Dade County: 72 accidents.

-Palm Beach County: 60 accidents.

-Pinellas County: 53 accidents:

-Lee County: 33 accidents.

-Broward County: 29 accidents:

-Brevard County: 23 accidents.

-Bay County: 22 accidents.

-Collier County: 20 accidents.

-Okaloosa County: 19 accidents.

-Volusia County: 18 accidents.

Miami-Date had the most issued boating education cards. More than 6,500 licenses were handed over to boaters under the age of 17. These boaters were most likely to receive a boater’s safety education card, followed by those ages 17 to 21.

Boating injuries and fatalities can be prevented with the proper safety measures and education.
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This is the first of a two-blog series in which our Fort Myers boating accident lawyers will discuss the dangers and risks that boaters face on Florida waterways. Newly released information from the Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission offers us a sneak peek into the seriousness of these types of accidents.

According to the 2010 Boating Accidents Statistical Report, there were nearly 700 boating accidents in Fort Myers and elsewhere throughout the year. These accidents resulted in nearly 80 fatalities. Most of these accidents were caused by drowning and victims falling overboard. Many of these deaths could have been prevented if more boaters wore life jackets.

Middle-aged boaters and older males are more likely to be involved in a boating accident, even though they typically have more boating experience than others. Most of these boaters failed to learn their boating skills through a boating safety course. The “Wear It Florida” campaign aims to get all boaters to wear life jackets, but targets this demographic because they’re least likely to wear them.

There were nearly 942,000 recreational vessels registered in Florida in 2010. Our state continues to have the most registered boats in the country. Officials believe that there are another one million boats that are non-registered and in use. They also believe this number is expected to grow.

In 2010, nearly 70 percent of the boat operators who were involved in accidents reportedly had no formal boater education. Monroe County had the highest number of boating accidents with nearly 80, about 7 deaths and nearly 60 injuries.

Falling overboard and drowning has been the number one cause of boating deaths. Even though these types of accidents are completely preventable, the number continues to increase. These types of accidents accounted for more than 60 percent of fatal accidents. May has proven to be the most deadly month on the water. May 2010 produced nearly 15 fatalities. More than 20 percent of all boating accidents involved alcohol or drugs. Nearly 90 percent of the fatalities occurred among males.

In 2010, personal watercrafts accounted for nearly 15 percent of registered vessels in the state. These vessels accounted for nearly 20 percent of the reported boating accidents for the year, with about 125 accidents. Nearly half of these accidents involved a collision with another vessel. Nearly 35 percent of these accidents happened in Miami-Dade, Pinellas and Monroe counties. Monroe County ranks number one for these types of accidents.

According to the 2010 Boating Accidents Review, Florida had the most boating accidents in the country in 2010. Coming in at number two was California, which had about 500 accidents. Nearly 50 more accidents were reported in 2009 than in 2010, even though the number of registered vessels decreased.

Lee County had more than 43,000 registered vessels in 2010. There were nearly 35 boating accident reports in Lee County throughout the year. These accidents resulted in four fatalities and nearly 20 injuries. These accidents ran a tab of nearly $551,000 and landed the county as the fifth most dangerous in the state.
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Boat racing is a popular sport and common recreational activity in the greater Fort Myers area. The weather is beautiful and the water is just a hop, skip and a jump away. Unfortunately, boating accidents in Florida are a common occurrence. Take for instance last weekend’s Key West Offshore Championship, where three boat racers died as a result of boating accidents.

A Sarasota man died after his 850-class Skater catamaran flipped during the last lap of the seven-lap race. Roughly 200 people attended his memorial. His racing partner, from Fort Myers, was released from the Lower Keys Medical Center in Key West this weekend, according to The News-Press.

Our Fort Myers boating accident attorneys understand the risks involved in powerboat races off the shores of Florida, and how deadly these contests can be. In addition to the Florida boater’s death, a 74-year-old man and a 47 year-old man died when their 46-foot catamaran crashed during one of the races in Key West Harbor. The accident happened Nov. 9, which marked the start of the race. A memorial was held for the two a day later.

“It was the classic rollover type of accident; something we’ve seen before at turns,” John Carbonell, president of Super Boat International.

Officials are still looking into the accidents, but they believe the driver made too swift of a turn. During the accident, winds were sustained at 15 miles per hour with wind gusts reaching nearly 25 miles per hour. Wave heights were about three feet.

One of the men, Danny Crank, who was involved in one of the boating accidents, spoke out about the trauma he faced at the championship. He said the accident happened when he and the other boaters were traveling about 110 miles per hour. His accident happened when his vessel slammed into a wave, according to 7News.

Witnesses say that the canopy of the boat imploded into the boat’s occupants. Luckily the boat came back up to the surface after nose diving into the water. The survivor had bloodshot eyes and a cut ear, but says he’s thankful to be alive. He thanks the rescue team for being on hand and being so responsive and well-trained. He says the rescue team is always on his mind.

He goes on to say that he doesn’t race for the money. He says he grew up fantasizing about these racing boats and knew he wanted to do it one day. He says it’s not for everyone though.

“If you’re scared, then you shouldn’t be in the boat, because then you hesitate, and it makes things worse,” said Crank. “We all know the risks.”

The last fatalities in this competition happened back in 1995.

While boat racing is inherently dangerous, recreational boaters are also at risk of having an accident especially during the winter boating season.
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Nearly year-round in Southwest Florida, boaters take to the waters to enjoy fishing, swimming or just to get out on the Gulf of Mexico or Caloosahatchee River.

But with Fourth of July fast approaching, it’s likely that more boaters will be out and Fort Myers Personal Injury Lawyers encourage everyone to be safe in their boats this weekend to make sure your holiday weekend is fun for everyone.

According to statistics from the U.S. Coast Guard, July is the most accident-prone month in the United States. In 2010, there were 1,032 non-fatal accidents, which made up about 1/4 of the total 3,999 reported accidents. There were also 108 fatal accidents last July, tops for the year.

In Florida, according to the U.S. Coast Guard, there were 39 boating accidents involving alcohol in 2010, up 18 percent from the 33 that happened in 2009. There were 15 alcohol-related deaths and 27 injuries caused by drinking and boating.

All these statistics are scary and as people prepare to have fun along Florida’s coasts or in rivers and lakes, this information should be taken seriously. On the water, it takes longer for the U.S. Coast Guard, local law enforcement marine units and other emergency crews to respond, which makes drowning an inherent risk. If someone is injured and rendered unconscious, very quickly they can hit the water, making it tough for others to save them.

Also because of the large number of watercraft that will be out this holiday weekend and other incidents, emergency marine units may not be able to keep up with the demand of various medical incidents compared to land-based EMS crews. While boaters are trained in safety procedures and medical procedures, it is no replacement for professionally trained crews who can apply quick and extensive care to someone who is having a traumatic medical emergency.

The Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission reported that in 2010, Lee County ranked fifth in the state in boating accidents with 33. Most of the reported accidents occurred near Fort Myers Beach. Four fatal boating accidents occurred and 12 accidents involved people getting injured.

Collier County ranked ninth among Florida counties with 20 accidents and one fatality. In both counties, operator inattention was the number one cause of accidents among boaters.

Sadly, Florida leads the country in fatal boating accidents with 68 in 2009. But it’s not completely unexpected because there are nearly 950,000 registered vessels statewide. Still, these accidents are preventable. Alcohol use was the number one reason for fatal accidents in Florida, with operator inattention and wild behavior among the other chief reasons.

More than 60 percent of all deaths on the water are drownings, with about 34 percent identified as trauma. Late afternoon and evening seems to be the time each day when accidents are most likely to occur.
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Law enforcement began November with an operation aimed at improving boater safety and targeting unsafe behavior on the water in an effort to reduce the risk of serious and fatal boating accidents in Fort Myers, Naples and the surrounding areas as winter residents and tourists begin flocking to the area.

The Fort Myers Police Department and the Lee County Marine Task Force teamed up for the first joint operation of the year, conducting safety inspections and looking for speed and other safety violations, including careless operation and boating under the influence.

Collier County boating accidents place the county sixth in the state, with 35 accidents last year. A total of 35 Lee County boating accidents placed the county seventh in the state for highest number of serious and fatal boating crashes.