Paradise to Peril - It Can Happen in an Instant

When a Florida resident trailered his boat to Ft. Lauderdale to make the trip over to Bimini, Bahamas with several boating friends, he never imagined that his trip would end like this. A group of boats and personal watercraft departed Port Everglades in early June. They made their way to Bimini in settled sea conditions and arrived in Bimini without incident. One of their day trips took them to the crystal clear water off an uninhabited island 20 miles North of Bimini for an afternoon of fishing and snorkeling. They soon found out that an Idyllic day on the water can change in a very short time. Pop up thunderstorms are a common occurrence in the Bahamas. These storms can pack strong winds which increase wave action quickly, creating a dangerous situation for small vessels. The crew on board this 22 foot Grady White fell victim to one of these storms. In an unfortunate turn of events, as the winds and seas bore down on the anchored group of boats, the sudden shift in wind direction and speed caused the anchor line from a neighboring boat to get wrapped around the lower unit of the outboard engine on the Grady White. The boat was essentially anchored by the stern at this point and waves began coming over the transom, capsizing the boat before the owner had time to react. Fortunately, there were no injuries as a result of the vessel capsizing. The boat subsequently wound up on the rocky shore of the island and was destroyed as waves mercilessly beat the stricken vessel on the rocks.

TowBoatU.S. Ft. Lauderdale was called on to assist in cleaning up the wreckage. The insurance carrier was keen to the potential environmental impact as well as the possibility that the wreckage could become a hazard to navigation should it drift off the island. Boats of this size are built to be positively buoyant. Despite the fact that the hull was badly damaged, the remains of the boat would be capable of floating and creating a hazard. This meant that leaving the boat in place was not an option. A 31’ twin diesel tug and a 96’ Work boat with a deck crane were dispatched from Ft. Lauderdale to the site along with boat crew and salvage divers. The main hull wreckage as well as many smaller pieces of wreckage that created the debris field were recovered and transported back to the United States. The job was completed when the debris was cleared off the deck and transported to a local facility for final disposal. TowBoatU.S. Ft. Lauderdale specializes in wreck removal for vessels of all sizes. They are awaiting your call for the next challenging project!