VESSEL ONE WAS AT ANCHOR.  A THUNDERSTORM CAME INTO THE AREA WITH HIGH WINDS CAUSING THE SEA CONDITIONS TO BECOME ROUGH.  VESSEL ONE BEGAN TO TAKE ON WATER FROM THE STERN, THE BILGE PUMP DID NOT WORK.  VESSEL ONE WAS OVERTAKEN BY THE WAVES, AND HAD STARTED TO SIT VERY LOW IN THE WATER.  THE WIND CONTINUED AND THE WAVES EVENTUALLY CAPSIZED THE VESSEL.  ALL THREE OCUPANTS HAD ALREADY EXITED THE VESSEL AND WERE ON THE SHORE.

TOW BOAT U.S. ARRIVED ON SCENE A SHORT TIME LATER IN VESSEL TWO.  THE OPERATOR ATTEMPTED TO RIGHT VESSEL ONE, HOWEVER DUE TO THE WEIGHT OF VESSEL ONE HE WAS UNSUCCESSFUL, AND IN THE PROCESS RIPPED THE T-TOP OFF VESSEL ONE WHILE ATTEMPTING TO SALVAGE IT.
FORT MYERS BEACH              