south shore yacht club accident

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Man dies after falling into lake michigan.

61-year-old John Swanson dies after falling off boat

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The Milwaukee County Sheriff's Office says a 61-year-old man died after falling into Lake Michigan on Friday night.

Deputies were alerted around 10:40 p.m. by a caller that heard a splash and then saw a hat floating in the water near South Shore Yacht Club.

The sheriff's office used its drone unit to find John Swanson. Paramedics from the Milwaukee Fire Department were able to revive Swanson, but he later died at the hospital.

According to the sheriff's office, Swanson fell from a boat that was docked at the marina.

Bell Ambulance posted on Facebook that Swanson was an Bell Ambulance EMT. He had been a member of Bell Ambulance since 2007.

Loved ones gathered at the South Shore Yacht Club on Sunday to share stories and remember Swanson.

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British tech magnate Mike Lynch among those missing after superyacht sinks off Sicily

British tech magnate Mike Lynch and five other people were missing after their luxury superyacht sank during a freak storm off Sicily early Monday, Italy's civil protection and authorities said. Lynch's wife and 14 other people survived.

What You Need To Know

British tech magnate mike lynch and several other people are missing after their luxury superyacht sank during a freak storm off sicily, italy's civil protection and authorities said lynch's wife and 14 other people survived authorities said monday that one body was found, six people remain missing and 15 people were rescued the vessel had overturned around 5 a.m. off the port of porticello.

Lynch, who was acquitted in June in a big U.S. fraud trial, was among six people who remain unaccounted for after their chartered sailboat sank off Porticello, when a tornado over the water known as a waterspout struck the area overnight, said Salvo Cocina of Sicily's civil protection agency.

One body had been recovered, and police divers were trying to reach the hull of the ship, which was resting at a depth of 50 meters (163 feet) off Porticello, near Palermo, where it had been anchored, rescue authorities said.

It had a crew of 10 people and 12 passengers, the Italian coast guard said. A sudden fierce storm had battered the area overnight, and struck the place precisely where the 184-foot British-flagged Bayesian had been moored.

"They were in the wrong place at the wrong time," said Cocina, noting that another superyacht nearby wasn't as badly damaged and helped rescue some of the 15 survivors, who included Lynch's wife Angela Bacares.

The Bayesian was notable for its single 246-feet mast — one of the world's tallest made of aluminum and which was lit up at night, just hours before it sank. Online charter sites listed it for rent for up to about $215,000 a week.

One of the survivors, identified as Charlotte Emsley, said she momentarily lost hold of her 1-year-old daughter Sofia in the water, but then managed to hold her up over the waves until a lifeboat inflated and they were both pulled to safety, Italian news agency ANSA reported, quoting the mother. The father, James Emsley, also survived, said Cocina.

Eight of the 15 people rescued and taken ashore at Porticello were hospitalized while the others were taken to a hotel. One body believed to be the cook was found near the wreck, but six others were unaccounted for and believed inside the hull, said Luca Cari, a spokesperson for the Italian fire rescue service.

Rescue crews located the vessel and deep-water police divers were trying to access the hull, Cari said. The operations, which were visible from shore, involved helicopters and rescue boats from the coast guard, fire rescue and civil protection service.

Fisherman Francesco Cefalu' said he had seen a flare from shore at around 4:30 a.m. and immediately set out to the site but by the time he got there, the Bayesian had already sunk, with only cushions, wood and other items from the superyacht floating in the water.

"But for the rest, we didn't find anyone," he said from the port hours later. He said that he immediately alerted the coast guard and stayed on site for three hours, but didn't find any survivors. "I think they are inside, all the missing people."

He said he had been up early to check the weather to see if he could go fishing, and surmised that a sudden waterspout had struck the yacht.

"It could be that the mast broke, or the anchor at the prow pulled it, I don't know," he said.

Cocina said the crew and passengers hailed from a variety of countries: In addition to Britain and the United States, passengers and crew were from Antigua, France, Germany, Ireland, Myanmar, the Netherlands, New Zealand and Spain, he said.

The UK Marine Accident Investigation Branch is deploying a team of four inspectors to Italy to conduct a preliminary assessment. The Foreign Commonwealth and Development office said it was "providing consular support to a number of British nationals and their families."

Dutch foreign ministry spokesperson Casper Soetekouw said the lone Dutch citizen on board, a man, had been rescued and was not in a life-threatening condition.

Lynch, once hailed as Britain's king of technology, was cleared in June of fraud and conspiracy charges related to Hewlett Packard's $11 billion takeover of his company, Autonomy Corp.

The not-guilty verdicts followed an 11-week criminal trial in San Francisco that delved into the history of HP's 2011 acquisition of Autonomy, a business software firm founded by Lynch.

The fraud accusations represented a dramatic turn in the fortunes of an entrepreneur once described as the Bill Gates of Britain — a title he seemed to live up to when he netted an $800 million from the Autonomy sale.

The acquittal vindicated Lynch, who had vehemently denied wrong doing and portrayed HP as a technological train wreck.

"I'm looking forward to returning the UK and getting back to what I love most: my family and innovating in my field," Lynch said in a statement released after the verdict.

The yacht, built in 2008 by the Italian firm Perini Navi, can accommodate 12 passengers in four double cabins, a triple and the master suite, plus crew accommodations, according to Charter World and Yacht Charters.

The vessel, which previously was named Salute when it flew under a Dutch flag, featured a sleek, minimalist interior of light wood with Japanese accents designed by the French designer Remi Tessier, according to descriptions and photos on the charter sites.

See the damage to piers, boat slips at South Shore Yacht Club

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1 dead after St. Pete boat crash, teens aboard vessel identified

Good samaritan helps after deadly boat crash.

Jennifer Kveglis reports

ST. PETERSBURG, Fla. - One of the teens that was ejected from a boat that crashed in St. Petersburg on Sunday night died, according to officials.

On Sunday around 4:30 p.m., authorities responded to reports of a boating accident near Bayshore Boulevard in St. Pete.

PREVIOUS: 2 teens injured in St. Pete boat crash

Two teenagers were hospitalized in critical condition after a boat crash in St. Pete Sunday evening. Jennifer Kveglis reports.

The Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission (FWC), United States Coast Guard (USCG), St. Petersburg Police Department, St. Petersburg Fire Rescue and the Pinellas County Sheriff's Office (PCSO) all responded to the scene.

Two 15-year-old boys, Collin Moorefield and Christian Tharakan were both on the 18-foot vessel when it hit a dock, according to FWC.

PREVIOUS: 2 teenagers injured after being ejected in St. Pete boat crash

The investigation revealed that both boys were thrown into the water.

Jonathan Carlon hopped onto the 2024 18-foot Key West Center Console boat after it crashed the second time, into his seawall four houses away from where the teens were ejected. 

"It was like something out of a movie, an unmanned boat going full speed at the seawall," Carlon said. "My immediate concern was I knew my wife and my daughter were outside. My daughter loves going on the dock."

Carlon said he quickly jumped into action and hopped over his fence, onto his seawall. "...off the seawall, into the boat and killed the power, turned the motor off, grabbed the anchor line and lassoed it around the neighbor's dock," he said.

Carlon noticed a cell phone on the boat was still playing music.

"At that point, it was very unclear how many people were on the boat originally," he said.

As the scene began to wrap up, an unknown man showed up.

"The father of one of the kids came into the backyard. We didn't know who he was at the time. He asked if there was anything that he could do," Carlon recalled. "My wife, she was holding my daughter at the time, and she gave me my daughter, and she said, 'I have to give him a hug' and she hugged him, and you could hear them both bawling. It was heartbreaking."

Officials say Tharakan, the operator of the boat, was recovered from the water.

The FWC, PCSO and St. Petersburg Fire Rescue says they searched for Moorefield who was found by a good Samaritan and a St. Petersburg Police Department Officer. 

READ: Woman struck, killed by truck while riding electric scooter: Police

The teens were taken to a local hospital, which is where Moorefield died, according to authorities. FWC says Tharakan has non-life threatening injuries.

"We would like to express our condolences to the Moorefield family and ask that the public give the family space during this difficult time," said Major Evan Laskowski, Southwest Regional Commander in a statement. "As a father myself, I can only begin to imagine the pain they are experiencing right now. I want them to know we are thinking and praying for them during this time."

The FWC is leading the active investigation with assistance from St. Petersburg Police Department.

Carlon believes it was a freak accident.

"We see people driving their boats recklessly, doing things that they shouldn't be all the time. This wasn't that. It just seemed like a terrible accident," he shared.

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1 teen killed, another hurt in St. Pete after boat crash, FWC says

ST. PETERSBURG, Fla. — One teenager was killed and another injured in a boating accident that happened Sunday.

Collin Moorefield, 15, died from his injuries, FWC said.

The Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission, United States Coast Guard, St. Petersburg Police Department, St. Petersburg Fire Rescue and Pinellas County Sheriff's Office all responded to Bayshore Boulevard at about 4:30 p.m. Sunday.

Authorities said an 18-foot vessel with two people on board hit a dock, and both were ejected into the water in the Shore Acres area.

Alexis Carlon was playing with her daughter in the backyard when she saw the teens go by. She later heard a loud sound and noticed the boat was still going but without the teenagers on it.

"We saw the boat basically go out into the Bay, do a circle and head straight for our dock, (it) veered suddenly and ran into the seawall," she said.

Her husband jumped into the boat and stopped it. He found two cell phones on the boat and used one to call 911.

Both were eventually found and taken to a hospital. The vessel operator, 15-year-old Christian Tharakan, suffered non-life-threatening injuries. Moorefield was a passenger.

“We would like to express our condolences to the Moorefield family and ask that the public give the family space during this difficult time.” said Major Evan Laskowski, Southwest Regional Commander.

The investigation is still under way. 

“Hopefully this investigation will come through and find out how important boating safety is," said Capt. Garth Swingle, with St. Pete Fire Rescue. "And what’s come into play and what we need to do to make sure this doesn’t happen again and everyone’s life feels safe out on the water.” 

Two 15-year-old boys were ejected from their boat after it crashed into a dock on Bayshore Blvd NE in St. Pete's Shore Acres neighborhood. One teen was critically injured but alert, while the other was rescued from the water and is critical but unstable @BN9 pic.twitter.com/nWO3dDExpJ — Angie Angers (@angie_angers) March 4, 2024

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Cruising - Boats, Family, Fun!

South Shore plans many cruises throughout the year, including some 'land cruises’ averaging about 1 per month. Some of our favorite cruises are to Catalina, the Channel Islands, Alamitos Bay, San Diego, Oktoberfest in Lake Arrowhead and our signature event The Great American Raft Up in Newport Harbor.

Cruise Events:  Whale Watching,  Duffy Day Around Newport Harbor,  San Diego Weekend Cruise,  Kayaking / Paddle boarding,  Catalina Cruise, , Alamitos Bay / Long Beach Cruise,  Dana Point Cruise and Raft Up,  The Great American Raft Up,  Oktoberfest,  Holiday Light Cruise Around Newport Harbor

Social – Eats, Greets, and Good Times

South Shore Yacht Club’s Social Committee hosts a 2nd Friday Dinner party every month often with a specific theme. Some of our popular themes have been Gilligan’s Island, Under the Sea, Night in Havana, Pirate Party, Tiki, and Mardi Gras Masquerade. Each year we host 4 signature events: In stallation of our new Commodore with an annual Black Tie event Commodore’s Ball, Opening Day for SSYC, an Endless Summer Beach Party to keep the summer going throughout the year, and a Holiday Boat Parade Party that has one of the best view of the Newport Beach Boat Parade.

Social Events:  Commodore’s Ball,  Opening Day,  Endless Summer Beach Party,  Holiday Boat Parade Party,  Themed Monthly Dinners,

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