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Video: Florida officer leaps onto runaway boat after man thrown overboard

By and
Published  April 28, 2025 5:43pm EDT
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FOX 13 News
Video shows boat in distress in Sarasota

Video shows boat in distress in Sarasota

Aaron Mesmer reports.

The Brief

    • Police say a 26-foot boat was cruising down the water unmanned on Monday.
    • The Sarasota Police Department says the boater was thrown overboard after a larger boat cut it off.
    • The boater suffered minor injuries.

SARASOTA, Fla. - A man was thrown from a boat on Monday in Sarasota, causing the boat to go unmanned until an officer jumped onto the runaway vessel and stopped it.

What we know:

The Sarasota Police Department says calls alerted them to the crewless boat traveling nearly 40 miles per hour, north of the Ringling Museum.

Police say the boater told them he was thrown from the boat after a larger boat cut him off and he went through its wake on his way back from this weekend’s Boat Show at Marina Jack.

Florida first responders help boat in distress

Florida first responders help boat in distress

Sarasota police responded to an unmanned boat going nearly 40 mph after its driver was thrown overboard. Courtesy: Sarasota Police Department.

First responders say it took multiple attempts to slow the boat down, first trying to turn off its motor with towlines before using a plasma towline to slow it down.

This reduction in speed allowed an officer to safely maneuver alongside the vessel, providing another officer the ability to board the boat and bring it to a stop.

READ: Clearwater Ferry crash: Boat involved in deadly hit-and-run has been located, authorities say

The boater, who was not wearing a life jacket or using the boat’s emergency cut-off switch, suffered minor injuries. Emergency cut-off switches attach directly to a boater so, if they fall overboard, the switch disconnects and immediately kills the engine.

Courtesy: Sarasota Police Department.

What they're saying:

"I think it's another reminder that just bad things can happen right and we all need to be putting safety first and operating safety consciously," said Capt. Dylan Hubbard, who runs Hubbard's Marina in Madeira Beach. "I think, unfortunately, we get reminded more often than not that there's definitely a lot of dangerous things that can occur on the water and we need to watch out for each other and do the best to keep ourselves and our property and others safe."

What we don't know:

Police did not release the identity of the boater or any information about any other boat involved in the incident.

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Big picture view:

SPD urges boaters to wear life jackets and use emergency engine cut-off switches to help prevent accidents and injuries on the water.

Courtesy: Sarasota Police Department.

The Source: The information in this story was provided by the Sarasota Police Department.

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