After the driver of a boat in Sarasota goes overboard, the vessel keeps circling with no one at the controls. Officers are called in to stop the runaway boat before it causes serious damage. It’s a rescue mission you have to see to believe.
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00:00This was sent to us by the Sarasota Police Department in Florida, where earlier this week, a boater returning from a boat show fell overboard after hitting a large wake, leaving his runaway boat speeding out of control as it circled Sarasota Bay.
00:19There's nobody on that boat. Get out of the area, please.
00:22An officer with the Sarasota PD Marine Unit is alerting folks to clear the area due to a runaway boat speeding out of control at nearly 50 miles an hour.
00:32And there's the runaway boat.
00:35There's nobody on that boat, so you've got to stay clear. It's a runaway boat.
00:41Apparently, the boater fell overboard, but has since been rescued.
00:44I need more marine units up here. This boat's right in the middle of the intercoastal doing circles. It's about 50 miles an hour.
00:50While the officer waits for backup to arrive, he tosses some tow lines, hoping the runaway boat's propeller might get tangled with the rope.
01:08Finally, backup arrives.
01:10You want me to get on with you and try to jump on it? Is that too fast?
01:17It's going too fast, Bruce.
01:19They consider trying to jump onto the runaway boat, but at this point, that's way too dangerous.
01:25Do you think if we held it taut and let it go right as it hit it?
01:29Yeah, that's it.
01:30Coming at us.
01:31Yeah, that's fun.
01:32We got it. We got it.
01:34Yeah, we're good.
01:35The boat runs over the rope and then just keeps on going.
01:38I think it's so fast.
01:40Perhaps they need to get a little closer to the boat.
01:42Mike, come over here. Your job's to hold me.
01:45Woo!
01:46I don't know, man.
01:47One more shot.
01:50The police boat speeds up until it's side-by-side with the runaway boat.
01:56The officer tosses the line.
01:58He pulls up the rope, which is now torn to shreds.
02:03What happened?
02:04They give it one more shot.
02:06They get side-by-side with the runaway boat.
02:14An officer tosses the rope.
02:18And it seems to have hit the propeller.
02:20We definitely hit the motor on it.
02:21But the boat still just keeps on going.
02:28They decide to try one last time.
02:30All right, drop the buoy and then hold the rope.
02:33They toss the rope into the water.
02:37And now the boat's heading straight towards them.
02:42Damn it!
02:43It's going 38.
02:44They're now at the end of their rope, literally.
02:47When one of the officers notices, the runaway boat's starting to slow up just a bit.
02:52Oh, it's slowing down.
02:53That's a chance.
02:55The boat was going too fast before.
02:57But now there's a chance they could jump aboard.
03:00The officer gets in position.
03:08I'm going to get any closer.
03:12And he jumps onto the boat.
03:16He pulls the throttle.
03:18And just like that, the motor shuts off.
03:22Nice job, Bruce.
03:24And now let's hope there's one more rope left to tow this boat back to shore.
03:28That was right.
03:29That was a freaking movie.
03:31Killer driving, man.
03:32That was insane.
03:35Now, the driver of the boat broke several fingers, but was otherwise okay.
03:40Police said the driver came within five feet of getting run over by his own boat.
03:44By the way, federal law requires all operators of recreational boats under 26 feet to use an
03:50engine cutoff switch.
03:52You wear it around your neck, your wrist, or on a lanyard.
03:54And if you fall overboard, you could turn off the boat engine remotely.