Capsized Boat in ICW
At 9:58 AM, we responded to an incident on the Intracoastal Waterway where a large, 4-engine boat kicked up enough wake to capsize a smaller boat, throwing the 4 occupants into the water and leaving the smaller boat submerged with only the prop shaft exposed. The larger boat did not stop, did not render aid, and kept going down the waterway.
As a reminder, you, as the captain of your boat, are responsible for injuries and damages caused by the wake of your boat. In this case, the wake was caused by plowing through the water, not speed. Being up on plane and moving at a higher speed would likely have resulted in less wake being created. Going much slower would have done the same.
Fortunately for the 4 people in the smaller boat, they escaped without any serious injuries. The status of their boat has not yet been determined as TowBoat US is still in the process of righting and moving it.
We also want to extend a very appreciative shout out to the United States Coast Guard Auxiliary. They had a boat already on the water near the scene and were able to render aid almost immediately. We also appreciate the fine people in the SeaPro boat that stopped and provided much needed assistance.