Boaters warned of the rough conditions at sea

The 911 calls related to the three boaters who died Sunday while fishing off our coast have been released. The boaters were warned of the rough conditions at sea the night before by a friend, but went anyway.

Rough Seas

The lone survivor of the family boating tragedy in Stuart remains hospitalized at Martin Memorial in serious condition. Robert Stewart issued a statement yesterday, thanking everyone for their support, and adding “My thoughts and prayers are now, and always will be, with them and their families. This is an incredibly emotional time and I am grateful for the outpouring of support while we continue to grieve the loss of our loved ones.”

Three others on the boat died at sea, including 9-year-old Jayden Jones; his father, 51-year-old Fernandas Jones; and the boy’s grandfather, 70-year-old Willis Bell. Fernandas Jones worked as a corrections deputy with the Palm Beach County Sheriff’s Office. Their boat went under due to rough surf. The accident report from the Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission says water filled the rear of the boat at around 8:40 a.m. on Sunday. The boaters tried to remove the water with buckets and a bilge pump, but within five minutes the boat went under. The boaters clung to the capsized boat for several hours until becoming separated. The bodies of the three who died were recovered on the beach near the St. Lucie Inlet the next day.

A small craft advisory was issued at the time the boat capsized due to high winds.

April has the highest number of boating deaths of any month. 78 percent of accident victims drowned and of those 84 percent of them were not wearing life jackets.

Martin County Sheriff William Snyder says the tragedy near the Saint Lucie Inlet serves as an important reminder for boaters to equip their boats with EPIRB’s, a geo tracking device that activates when it hits the water, a tool that could have expedited the search and possibly saved a life.

He is also very concerned about there only being one inspection of the boat and people not taking safe boating courses.

Click here for local CBS video and report by our Jana Eschbach

CBS local: How to stay alive if your boat capsizes.

Safe Boating Courses in Florida

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