On 5-04-13 I Officer  of the Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission received a call from JSO Marine Unit reporting a boat sinking and 2 people in the water in front of Joe Carlucci boat ramp.  When I arrived at the beach just west of Joe Carlucci boat ramp near Heritage River Drive Fire Rescue and JSO were on scene. Vessel FL4643LG was approximately 95% submerged in the water and the operator and passenger were on the beach. 

I interviewed operator the vessel and his wife.  Operator stated that he had multiple problems that he believed caused his vessel to sink. He said that his live-well was overflowing sending water into the bilge.  He said his bilge pump wasn't working.  He also said that his hatch covers in the splash-well near the transom popped off and washed into the water.  In addition to those problems the weather was severe with wind gusts over 25 mph, rough seas and hard downpours.  There was small craft advisory and flash-flood warning.  Operator said he was stopped in the St. Johns River bailing water out of his vessel when a freighter came by and its wake filled his vessel the rest of the way with water enough to sink it.  

Operator and his wife were both wearing PFD's.  Operator notified the U.S. Coast Guard by VHF and called 911 on his cell phone.  He and his wife both entered the water but stayed with the vessel as it drifted to shore along the beach on Heritage River drive.  When the vessel was put back on the trailer I noticed the transom had two large cracks and there was also a large gouge on the bottom of the vessel.  The top front of the cowling also had a crack in it.  

Operator stated that he hit a dredge pipe at the entrance to Mill Cove at the east end but and didn't realize it damaged his vessel.  The damage to the transom and hull did not appear to play a role in the vessel taking on water.  Operator had multiple rods and reels completely submerged along with his tackle box, 3 batteries, his trolling motor, 2 Power Poles and hydrolic pumps and remotes.  His 200 hp Mercury Outboard Motor was also submerged.  His VHF, depthfinder, stereo and console gauges were all submerged. I photographed the damage to the vessel, transom, hull and engine cowling and I submitted all photographic evidence to the FWC Evidence Custodian.  

On 5-06-13 I contacted the USCG asked him to investigate to make sure the markers and lighting on the dredge pipe were incompliance with U.S. Coast Guard standards and he agreed to investigate.  I advised him that there has been multiple incidents of boats striking the same dredge pipe recently.  I went out to the location of the dredge pipes the evening of 5-06-13 to see if the markers were lit at night.  There was1 blinking red light on one of the signs and 3 faint white lights on 3 other signs.  The lights came on approximately 30 minutes after sunset.  On May 8th I was contacted by U.S. Coast Guard Sector Mayport.  He informed me the U.S. Coast Guard along with the Army Corps of Engineers were going to investigate to see if the lights and markers in Mill Cove that are marking the dredge pipe were in compliance with Coast Guard Regulations.  He said that Dredge America was the company dredging Harbour Waterway Channel in Mill Cove for the Harbour Waterway Association.  He produced a Army Corps of Engineers issued permit(SAJ-1993-01030-PRJ) showing that Dredge America had a permit to dredge in Mill Cove and told me the Senior project manager involved with this permit.  
On 5-13-13 I spoke to Operator on the telephone.  He said his boat and motor were totaled and his insurance company totaled his boat and motor and was going to pay him $16,000 for it.
JACKSONVILLE