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Maritime Accident News

Horrific Florida Boat Capsizing Takes Life of Elderly Woman; Seven Rescued

Posted on Oct 29, 2011

According to a Reuters report, an 80-year-old woman is missing and presumed dead after her boat capsized off the Florida Keys over the weekend. Seven others who had been aboard on the capsized boat were rescued, thanks to the actions of a good-samaritan mariner and the quick work of the U.S. Coast Guard.

Four of the people who were rescued - including a 4-year-old girl who survived by clinging to a cooler box - treaded water for 20 hours before rescue workers arrived. A spokesperson from the U.S. Coast Guard reported that the 4-year-old girl and her three companions had drifted four miles from where their boat had capsized (near Marathon in the Middle Keys).

As most Floridians know, last weekend witnessed torrential rains - over 8 inches in some places. The resulting choppy seas caused the capsizing of the group's pleasure craft. Early reports cannot confirm whether group members were wearing life jackets or not. A Coast Guard spokesman told Reuters that "the incident showed how important it was for boaters to carry an emergency beacon or VHS radio so that they could be located in the case of an accident or mishap."

One of the most terrifying elements of the story involves how far the survivors drifted apart after just hours in the water. Fortunately for the survivors, each group had companions. But one can imagine a situation in which a group of seven capsizes and six people float one way and one person floats the other way. The experience for that one person who gets separated would certainly be terrifying - and recalls the horrifying scene from Stanley Kubrick's 2001: A Space Odyssey where the astronaut gets detached from his lifeline and floats off into the depths of outer space.

Once survivors of Florida boating accidents return to shore, they face pressing concerns regarding logistics, medical care, and legal issues. For help with your potential case, connect with the Jones Act attorneys of Vujasinovic & Beckcom at www.maritimeaccidentattorney.com, or call our friendly team at (877) 724-7800 to get clear and compassionate guidance.