MIAMI-DADE COUNTY, Fla. – Miami-Dade firefighters were caught on camera working hard to gain control of a runaway boat.
Fire crews were called after reports of a man overboard, and they arrived to find a boat spinning out of control near Port Miami on Monday.
Miami-Dade Fireboat 73 responded.
“He was coming out of the river in a small vessel and a large wave hit and he fell off of his vessel,” said Yovan Sanchez with Miami-Dade Fire Rescue. “The vessel lost control and started spinning erratically.”
Sanchez said a good Samaritan had already pulled the boater to safety when crews arrived.
They then shifted focus to gaining control of the boat.
“We were able to throw a line over the outboard motor and as the boat was spinning around, that rope caught the prop, which stalled the motor,” Sanchez said. “We were able to secure the boat.”
Officials told Local 10 News that crews treated the boater for minor injuries from trying to stop the runaway boat, something Sanchez said no one should try to do, especially from the water.
“The last thing you want to do once you get thrown off a vessel is try to attempt to stop the vessel as it’s coming over,” Sanchez said. “That could cause injuries and even death.”
He said every boater should have a radio on them to call for help, and for smaller boats, something as simple as a safety lanyard can prevent tragedies.
“In the event that you get thrown off the boat, the lanyard cuts power to the engine and you can safely get back to your boat,” Sanchez said.