UPDATED May 3 at 1:20 p.m. – BRADENTON BEACH – While operating a tour boat for Paradise Boat Tours on Sunday, Captain John (Mike) Draayom helped pull a male and a female from the Intracoastal Waterway near Longboat Pass and the Coquina boat ramps.
Draayom said the tour boat was traveling south on the ICW at about 5:45 p.m. when he spotted two people in the water near a boat and a personal watercraft that appeared to be floundering just north of mile marker 47.
“We came up on two folks in the water and they were in pretty bad shape. We were able to lower our ladder and assist them up onto the vessel. I called 911 and we took them to the closest boat ramp (Coquina South) and waited there for EMS,” Draayom said.
“We were able to pick up the two Jet Skiers and there was a lady in the boat that was injured as well,” he said.
“On Sunday, at approximately 5:30 p.m., the Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission (FWC) received notification from Manatee County Sheriff’s Office of a boating accident near North Coquina Boat Ramp in Manatee County,” FWC Public Information Officer Bryce Phillippi said in a prepared statement. The FWC is the lead agency in the investigation.
“The FWC, MCSO marine unit, Manatee County Fire Rescue and the United States Coast Guard responded to the scene of a two-vessel boating accident involving a 17-foot vessel and a 10-foot personal watercraft. The personal watercraft operator and the vessel passenger received injuries and both individuals were transported to a hospital for treatment. The vessel operator and PWC passenger were uninjured,” according to Phillippi.
“I’m glad we came along when we did because there was a lot of boats going pretty fast through that area at the time,” Draayom said. “The gentleman in the water was struggling pretty hard. If he wasn’t wearing a life vest, he could have been in serious trouble. He walked away. She got transported with rib issues.”
Regarding the female boat passenger who was injured, Draayom said, “From what I’m told, the cowling came off the Jet Ski, went into the boat and hit her.”
The man driving the boat told Draayom that the boat and the personal watercraft collided, he said, adding that he did not know the cause of the collision.
Draayom said he had passengers aboard the tour boat while the events transpired.
“They were just fine. I apologized profusely and they remained seated throughout the whole thing, just watching,” he said.
