Local boat captain says a solar light on jetty could prevent boat crashes
The driver of a boat that crashed off Jetty Park remains hospitalized. The Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission says a total of 7 people were on board the boat, 6 of them were ejected and received medical treatment for their injuries.
A local boat captain says accidents happen because many boat operators can’t see the protruding pier, especially at night. Capt. Greg Rapp says he wasn’t surprised when he saw emergency crews coming out after the boat crashed into the pier. “It’s a little deceptive. It’s so relaxed. Nothing goes wrong and then what factor hits you.”
The damaged boat was taken out of the water on Sunday evening. Rapp says, “Ambulances and cops there at Jetty Park. It looked like someone hit the pier again. Like I said, that’s not uncommon.”
He said boaters access the pier at least twice a year because it’s sometimes difficult to see. “If it’s really calm and the tide is high, you can’t see any white water hitting the pier. Then you add the fact that there are dredging vessels that have a lot of lighting, so it almost blinds you.”
According to FWC, the cause of the boat accident remains under investigation.
Captain Rapp has a simple solution to make the pier easier to see. “Install some sort of small solar lighting. Like right at the end of the pier. Whatever the cost, it wouldn’t be much. It might save some lives or serious injuries.”
We asked the US Coast Guard at Port Canaveral to install a solar light; they say they are working on our request.
Some fishermen, like Jack Merchant, say boaters try to avoid going near the pier altogether. “Everyone stays pretty much in the middle. You don’t see them getting too close to the rocks like that.”
Captain Rapp says slowing down can also prevent accidents from happening. “I have sailed into this cove thousands of times and when I get close to it, I reduce the boat speed by 10 knots.”
The names of those involved in the accident have not been released.
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