Sportfish tosses captain overboard...

YachtForums · 09-03-2010, 10:50 PM

If I hadn't seen the pics, I'd call it a fish tail. Pics are credited to Stuart Browning, who captured the incident as it happened. Link is to story on the Palm Beach Post. I'm copying editorial to YF's server for reference.

http://www.palmbeachpost.com/news/ma...l?sms_ss=email

Quote:

By Julius Whigham II; Palm Beach Post Staff Writer

Posted: 6:59 p.m. Friday, Sept. 3, 2010

A man is in critical condition after falling off a charter boat and nearly drowning in the Jupiter Inlet today.

Thomas Henry, captain of the Water Dog charter boat, was thrown overboard around 12:30 p.m., Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission spokeswoman Gabriella Ferraro said.

The cause of the incident is still under investigation. But there was heavy surf and very rough water conditions at the time, Ferraro said.

Henry, 61, of Jupiter, was pulled out of the water by Palm Beach County lifeguards. He was taken to St. Mary's Medical Center.

One mate and five customers were also aboard at the time, but no one else was injured, Ferraro said.

Capt J · 09-03-2010, 11:00 PM

Another testimonial why one should never run a yacht alone. Luckily there was a mate on board to get control of the boat. It looks like another boat passed closely by it. It looks like a stern wake just in front of the bow in the first picture

YachtForums · 09-03-2010, 11:49 PM

Hard to say Capt. J. The color of the water in the 2nd pic would indicate it was shallow and he got broadside to a breaking wave, possibly over a shoal. There were big swells offshore today, compliments of Hurricane Earl.

84far · 09-04-2010, 05:04 AM

WOW!!! Unlucky... I'm thinking Carl might be onto something there...?

Is the boat a Garlington by any chance....?

Far

jemventures · 09-04-2010, 09:23 AM

Wow! Incredible pictures. Kind of hard to see exactly what happened but looks like maybe a breaking wave caught the stern lifting it while the bow dug in? Also hard to tell but do you think the guy fell from the flybridge or was he actually up in the tower?

NYCAP123 · 09-04-2010, 09:46 AM

Imagine if he'd been alone. That looks like a couple million dollars worth of boat and equipment that could have been destroyed, not to mention anything it might have hit.

Ocean54k3 · 09-04-2010, 06:29 PM

Veteran Captain Tom Henry is in critical condition in a local hospital after being thrown overboard in Jupiter Inlet from his 48 Garlington "WATERDOG". Please keep him in your prayers. Tom is one of Jupiter's best, and a great guide and friend. That inlet is notorious during heavy swell conditions and this accident serves to emphasize that we must all be extra cautious to avoid a devastating broach, regardless of the boat we run.
God speed you on your recovery Tom!
You and your family are in our prayers.

Pascal · 09-04-2010, 07:45 PM

sad story but I think both of you (NYCAP and J) are really missing the point and the lesson of this story!

reading this article and looking at the pictures, my first reaction is that an experienced charter captain, familiar with the boat and that inlet, lost control of his boat. this is a graphic reminder that some inlets can be dangerous no matter what your experience is, no matter how much local knowledge you have and how sea worthy the boat may be.

i really dont' know what it has to do with being alone... according to the article, he was not pulled out the water by by his crew or guests but by lifeguards!

and judging by the last picture, it doens't look to me than anyone was in control of the boat...

what happened to the boat? I dont see any ER intake on the first picture, that may have saved them as otherwise a ton of water would have gotten in.

84far · 09-04-2010, 08:46 PM

I don't think he lost control, I think the captain may have miss read the wave, the wave caused a snap roll effect on the boat, and the captain was tossed, you can see the boat has no side rails up on the bridge... so over he went.

Far

Pascal · 09-04-2010, 09:22 PM

well if you misread a wave and teh boat rolls, that's pretty much the same as loosing control, isnt' it?

Capt J · 09-04-2010, 09:48 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Pascal

sad story but I think both of you (NYCAP and J) are really missing the point and the lesson of this story!

reading this article and looking at the pictures, my first reaction is that an experienced charter captain, familiar with the boat and that inlet, lost control of his boat. this is a graphic reminder that some inlets can be dangerous no matter what your experience is, no matter how much local knowledge you have and how sea worthy the boat may be.

i really dont' know what it has to do with being alone... according to the article, he was not pulled out the water by by his crew or guests but by lifeguards!

and judging by the last picture, it doens't look to me than anyone was in control of the boat...

what happened to the boat? I dont see any ER intake on the first picture, that may have saved them as otherwise a ton of water would have gotten in.

This happened to a Captain that is in and out of Jupiter inlet a 100 times a year. Accidents happen, and that is what happened here. Having a mate that was there to take control of the boat and keep it and the 5 guests safe are key. Imagine the destruction that would have occured if nobody was on board, or even if it was just a loss of property. No captain can honestly say they have been in control 100% of the time of the vessel they are running. You're in denial that it is safe to run a yacht with 1 person on board, carefully read your insurance policy and see what they think.

84far · 09-04-2010, 09:56 PM

Depends on how you look at it... If the captain was still at the helm and the boat broaches with him still at the helm and couldn't correct the boat, I see that as loosing control...

Having control and then being removed completely from the whole equation due to snap roll, and not having the time/chance to correct the fault... well to me thats different... unlucky...?

But I wasn't there...

Far

Pascal · 09-04-2010, 10:51 PM

on charter there is absolutely no doubt that a mate/crew is a must...

in this incident, luck played a big role... what if the mate had been thrown overboard at the same time? it's hard to see the railing on that boat but for the captain to be thrown overboard they had to be very low...

i dont' have to worry about that, I run a skylounge MY!

84far · 09-04-2010, 11:12 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Pascal

i dont' have to worry about that, I run a skylounge MY!

K1W1 · 09-05-2010, 02:15 AM

Hi,

In the first photo isn't that a game chair up high and aft on the FB?

Looks like he mighta got the slingshot action right out over the side.

Either way it's a heck of a story to tell ya grandkids and anyone else who will listen.

Hope he is out and into the action again soon.