Two boaters were rescued off the coast of Marshfield, Massachusetts, on Tuesday, July 5, after being thrown from their 24-foot center console, which was spiraling in the “circle of death” less than a mile from Brant Rock Beach. A local fisherman reported the incident and was able to pull the two boaters onto his vessel and bring them ashore.
Once the boaters were rescued, boats out of the harbormaster’s office were sent to the unmanned vessel. According to Harbormaster Mike DiMeo, the boat was making violent turns at near full throttle. Responders used a specialized tow rope to disable the engine, which slowed the boat enough for DiMeo to turn off the engine.
While nobody was injured in the incident, there was a lot of potential for the situation to turn deadly. The two boaters were not wearing lifejackets, and they were not tethered to the vessel’s kill switch, as required by the Coast Guard. According to DiMeo, the boat had about 40 gallons of gas in it, so it would have been a long time before it stopped on its own. And if the wheel had straightened out, the boat could have headed straight for Brant Rock Beach.
This incident should serve as an important reminder to always use an engine cut-off switch, which is required by law on vessels under 26 feet. You can watch a video of the runaway boat below.
