The U.S. Coast Guard went searching for an overdue boater off the coast of Atlantic Beach, North Carolina in a rescue mission that was only partly successful. The boat was secured, but the man was nowhere to be found.
According to authorities, 67-year-old Michael Dodick was supposed to have returned at around 4:00 p.m. Thursday. He had planned a full day of dolphin fishing approximately 40 miles off the coast. Dodick’s fiancé told investigators that the Statesville man left around 5:30 a.m. in a 28-foot Grady White boat from Anchorage Marina.
Media sources have said that the Coast Guard reported that the boat was washed up on the beach at Camp Lejeune this morning, with it’s engines running with no sign of Dodick. Rescue crews are in the process of searching for him in nearby waters. To deepen the mystery, the man’s boat, “Slow and Easy” was found with all its fishing lines broken.
The loss of a loved one from a boating accident is an unanticipated tragedy that can be hard to accept. One of the greatest causes of fatal accidents is someone falling overboard. This usually happens while the boat is moored, or at anchor. It is most often caused by unstable footing or unsafe acts, like sitting on the sideboards or gunwales. Standing or moving about without holding on to something is another cause. And finally, taking a turn on a power boat at high speed, tight, or without warning is a likely time that people can fall overboard.
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