US EditionFlorida officer jumps into high-speed boat after driver is thrown overboard
- On Monday, April 28, 2025, a man fell off a vessel near the Ringling Museum in Sarasota, Florida, leaving the boat without anyone onboard as it sped around uncontrolled at about 40 mph.
- The operator explained that a larger boat suddenly cut ahead of him, causing him to be ejected from his vessel while navigating the resulting wake, and he was neither equipped with a life jacket nor had engaged the emergency engine shut-off device.
- Multiple agencies, including the Sarasota Police Marine Unit and Sea Tow, made several unsuccessful attempts to stop the runaway boat before an officer maneuvered alongside and a lieutenant boarded it to bring it to a stop.
- The injured operator sustained minor injuries, and police emphasized the importance of wearing life jackets and using engine cut-off switches to prevent accidents on the water.
- This incident highlights the risks of boating without safety equipment and the coordination needed among responders to control hazards posed by unmanned vessels at high speed.
34 Articles
34 Articles
Florida officer jumps into high-speed boat after driver is thrown overboard
By Allison Petro Click here for updates on this story SARASOTA, Florida (WESH) — A man was thrown overboard from a vessel Monday, causing it to circle without a driver in Sarasota until police jumped into action. The Sarasota Police Department responded to a call of a boater in distress north of the Ringling Museum. Police explained that a boater had fallen from the vessel, leaving it unmanned as it circled across the ocean at approximately …
Sarasota officer leaps aboard runaway boat after man fell overboard
A Sarasota officer jumped onto an abandoned boat to stop it as it sped out of control, and the incredible save was caught on video. The Sarasota Police Department shared the wild video taken on Monday, after a boater fell off his 26-foot Everglades vessel north of the Ringling Museum, authorities said. The boater told officers he was returning the boat after the weekend’s Boat Show at Marina Jack when a larger vessel cut him off. While trying to…
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…
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