Coast Guard Station Marquette responded to a report of an unmanned vessel out of control in Marquette Lower Harbor with no apparent passengers or operator on board at 2:42 pm on May 13, 2005.

Coast Guard Station Marquette received a call at 2:42 pm, from the local 911 dispatch, informing the unit that a vessel was out of control and running in erratic circles inside Marquette Lower Harbor break-wall. Coast Guard Station Marquette immediately responded to the incident by launching the unit’s 21-foot UTL, manned by a four-person crew. Once on scene, the crew observed the unmanned boat, a 23-foot red Zodiac, going around in circles and periodically hitting the lower harbor break wall. Upon further investigation of the area, the UTL crew located a person struggling in the water attempting to swim away from the runaway boat. The man received first aid after being pulled on board the Coast Guard vessel. The Coast Guard crew confirmed that the man was the only person onboard the Zodiac at the time of the incident.

The Coast Guard quickly transported the man to Cinder Pond Marina in Marquette Lower Harbor, where an ambulance was waiting to take him to Marquette General Hospital for further treatment. The man suffered from severe hypothermia, after spending about 15 minutes in the 37-degree water. He also sustained injuries to the face, chest and leg after being ejected and later hit by the run away boat. The Coast Guard boat crew returned to the scene of the incident to tow the run away boat, which was now dead in the water, to Cinderpod Marina. The vessel had sustained minor damage, but was not taking on water.

The operator indicated that he hit a wave as he was making a high-speed turn, which caused him to be thrown from the boat. He was conducting a test run for the first time this boating season. The man was not wearing a personnel flotation device and the boat was not rigged with kill switches.

The Coast Guard wants to remind the boating public that it is important to wear your personal flotation device, not just have it onboard. It could make the difference between life and death.

Share or bookmark this story: