Florida Today-November 4, 2011-Andrew Knapp-According to the article a man piloting his 16-foot boat through a marshy area in Lake Washington was hunting and came across an old man submerged in the water. The boater loaded the man into his boat and took him ashore. Apparently the older man had been in the water for hours and was confused. The man was not injured, but was taken by paramedics to Wuesthoff Medical Center in Melbourne, Brevard County, Florida. According to the article the man was unsure of exactly what happened but told the boater that he was driving his Jeep Liberty over the Sarno Road Extension in Melbourne, Brevard County, Florida late Wednesday night when apparently steered his Jeep into an 8-foot deep ditch. After 12 hours of being in the marsh he was rescued by the boater about a half mile from his vehicle.
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Florida Today-May 27, 2011-According to the article the Banana River Sail and Power Squadron will be hosting a seamanship course that begins June 29th at the Keiser University in Melbourne, Brevard County, Florida. The seamanship course will be eight two-hour sessions. The course will include high level boating skills which include rules of the road, seamanship and boat handling, anchoring, mooring, rafting, marlinspike and emergencies. According the article the course fee is $195, or $142 for a one-year membership.
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Florida Today-May 9, 2011- According to this article a passenger aboard a Port Canaveral cruise ship was killed and another was seriously injured due to a jet ski accident in the Bahamas. The accident occurred on Friday and the recovering passenger remains in the hospital in the Bahamas. The cruise ship left Port Canaveral in Cape Canaveral, Brevard County, Florida on Thursday and was returned Sunday.
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A 19-year-old sailor in the U.S. Navy was taking part of in a night time training exercise aboard a 24-foot inflatable boat known as a RHIB when a group of barges being pushed by a tug boat struck the boat. The sailor was sucked under the barges and suffered injuries resulting in his death. His survivors consisted of his parents and seven siblings. At the time of his death the sailor had earned about 21,000 dollars a year. A claim was brought on behalf of the survivors under general maritime law, alleging that the tug boat failed to post a crew member on the led barge to watch for other boats in the area. According to the plaintiff, had the tug boat done so, the collision could have been avoided. Eventually it was decided by a United States District Court Judge that U.S. Government was 80% at fault and the tug boat was 20% at fault. The award to the Estate of the deceased sailor was 1.25 million. Later on in the case the court granted a U.S. Government motion for summary judgment based on sovereign immunity. As a result Volcan remains responsible for the entire award. Currently the case is on appeal.
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Before pleading punitive damages the plaintiff must show based on facts, that “there exists a reasonable evidentiary bases for the recovery of punitive damages.”
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Florida Today-December 30, 2010-Andrew Knapp-According to this article fuel, from 10 barrels that fell during a ship to ship transfer leaked into the waters of Port Canaveral. The standard petroleum barrels, each containing 42 gallons of ship fuel, dropped to the deck of a barge after they were moved from a commercial ship. A small amount of the fuel leaked into the water at the north cargo pier, forming a shin on the surface. The article goes onto say that the spill occurred at the Sea Port Canaveral terminal in the central portion of the facility. The article is quick to point out that this is refined oil that ships run on-not like the crude oil from a deep water horizon. Apparently no shipping or recreational boating has been impacted by this spill.
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According to an article in Florida Today (August 2, 2010-Jim Waymer) he estimated in 2007 the economic value of Indian River Lagoon’s 72,400 acres of sea grass, which support sport and commercial fishery’s, is 329 billion dollars per year, worth $4,600 per acre. Learn more about sea grass at www.dep.state.fl.us/coastal/habitats/seagrass. 52 species of marines sea grasses exist world wide, and only seven are found in Florida waters.
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Florida Today-April 2, 2010-According to this article the Banana River Sail and Power Squadron will offer a Basic Boating Safety Course in Melbourne. Students will learn the fundamentals of safe boating including boat handling, boat operation and basic boat piloting. Apparently this course meets Florida State and National Association of State Boating Law Administrators requirements for certification.
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Florida Today-March 2, 2010-The Coast Guard Auxiliary Flotilla 17-2 will offer a13 class boating skills and seamanship program from 7-9 p.m. beginning March 9, at the Flotilla 17-2 headquarters at the Sal Martinez Palm Bay boater education building, Pollack Park, at Palm Bay Road and Main Street in Palm Bay, Brevard County. According to the article participants, who complete the course, will receive their Florida Boater Education Identification Card and learn about navigation, chart work along with boating requirements and homeland security. The cost is $45.00.
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In a recent article of Scuba Magazine (August 2009) following general safety rules for scuba diving were listed:
1. Never enter an over headed environment alone and without proper training or equipment.
2. Be prepared for the dives you plan to make. Don’t cut corners or try to get by with what you have.
3. Don’t let confidence or ego cloud you judgement and allow to do something for which you are not prepared.
4. Always let others know your plan.
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