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A retired Minneapolis police sergeant leaped onto a burning boat in a Florida harbor north of Fort Myers, picked up and moved one badly injured woman, and then another, onto other boats, then got off the distressed vessel seconds before it was rocked by the second of two explosions. Just as Harry Baltzer finished moving the two women from the blazing boat last Friday in an Englewood, Fla., gated community, he could sense that time was running short. "I put one foot on one bow, and I had my other foot on the other bow," said Baltzer, who turns 68...

LOCK HAVEN - Four months after two boats collided on the Susquehanna River, killing a young girl and injuring several others, one of the boat operators has been arrested on with multiple criminal charges, and charges are pending against one of his passengers. John Edward Englert II, 51, of 335 N. Water St., Mill Hall, was arraigned before Friday afternoon before Magisterial District Judge Joseph Sanders on 37 criminal offenses, ranging from homicide by watercraft while driving under the influence and other first-degree felonies to various summary offenses under Pennsylvania's boating laws. Sanders set bail at $750,000 and Englert was...

LOCK HAVEN - It's been almost four months since Valerie Teresa Heidt, 12, of Hublersburg, died in a fatal boat crash on the Susquehanna River and an intensive investigation began. This morning, Clinton County District Attorney Michael F. Salisbury said that probe is nearing an end and he will be meeting with officials today to discuss time tables and charging options. Salisbury said his office was contacted Tuesday by the private New Jersey firm conducting the crash reconstruction segment of the investigation and has been informed that the report is in the "final stages and should be received within the...

(LEAD) 11 N. Koreans defect to S. Korea through East Sea SEOUL, Oct. 1 (Yonhap)-- Eleven North Korean defected to South Korea through waters off the South's east coast on Thursday, a government source said. The source said the 11 North Koreans -- five men and six women -- expressed their willingness to seek asylum in the South after crossing the sea border in a ship around 6:30 p.m. and arriving in the South Korean port city of Jumunjin on the east coast. The Ministry of Defense is expected to announce details on their defection soon, according to the source.

This amazing image on Google Earth could be the elusive proof that the Loch Ness Monster exists. Sun reader Jason Cooke spotted "Nessie" while browsing the Web site's satellite photos. The shape seen on the surface of the 22-mile Scottish loch is 65ft long and appears to have an oval body, a tail and four legs or flippers. Some experts believe Nessie may be a Plesiosaur, an extinct marine reptile with a shape like the Google image. "This is really intriguing. It needs further study," said researcher

Israel deports Gaza boat activists, including former US congresswoman, Nobel laureatePublished Monday July 6th, 2009 Matti Friedman, THE ASSOCIATED PRESS JERUSALEM - Israel has deported a former U.S. congresswoman, a Nobel peace prize laureate and other activists who were arrested trying to break the naval blockade of the Gaza Strip, Israeli officials said Monday. The Israeli navy commandeered the boat last week as it tried to sail from Cyprus to Gaza. It was the latest in a series of trips by activists trying to bring attention to the blockade imposed by Israel and Egypt on the territory after the Islamic...

Cynthia McKinney to Appear in Israeli Court After Gaza-Bound Boat Is SeizedFormer U.S. lawmaker Cynthia McKinney is due to appear in an Israeli court Sunday after she and 20 other activists were taken into custody this week when their relief boat was seized by an Israeli naval ship. FOXNews.com Saturday, July 04, 2009 Former U.S. lawmaker Cynthia McKinney is due to appear in an Israeli court Sunday after she and 20 other activists were taken into custody this week when their relief boat was seized by an Israeli naval ship. The 2008 Green Party presidential candidate says the group, "Free...

Several IDF navy boats intercepted, boarded and took control of a boat of pro-Arab activists trying to break Israeli sovereignty over coastal waters Tuesday afternoon. No one was injured, and an IDF spokesman told Israel National News that no shots were fired. It was the first time the IDF has boarded one of the boats since the pro-Arab “Free Gaza” movement began sending ships to Gaza last August.

USS Chinook provided assistance to an Iraqi fishing boat in the North Arabian Gulf after it experienced mechanical problems leaving it unable to operate at sea, June 22. Photo courtesy of U.S. Naval Forces, 5th Fleet Public Affairs. USS CHINOOK, At Sea — USS Chinook provided assistance to an Iraqi fishing boat in the North Arabian Gulf after it experienced mechanical problems at sea, June 22. U.S. and Iraqi Sailors aboard the Basra Oil Terminal, as part of Combined Task Force Iraqi Maritime, received a distress call from the fishing boat Kadem Alabbas approximately 50 miles from the Kuwaiti coast,...

One thing about Liveshot, he knows when to back a loser By Howie Carr | Friday, May 8, 2009 | http://www.bostonherald.com | Columnists Sen. John Forbes Kerry has spent the week futilely trying to prop up two of his oldest, dearest friends - the Boston Globe and a convicted kiddie-porn pervert named Wade Sanders. You know about the Globe. Despite Kerry’s Senate hearings into the implosion of arrogant left-wing newspapers, El Globo continues to circle the drain. You’ve heard less about Wade Sanders, or nothing at all if you rely on the Globe. He’s a liberal and a pervert and...

This guy is a moron. Pretty funny though. Step one: Load up beer, 2-3 ice chests full. Pictures on site

ASYLUM-SEEKERS doused their boat in petrol before a dawn explosion that killed three people off the northwest Australian coast, West Australian Premier Colin Barnett says. Mr Barnett said it was unclear how the flames ignited. "It is understood that the refugees on the boat spread petrol and that ignited causing the explosion," Mr Barnett said. Mr Barnett would not elaborate on the claim when questioned further. The Commander of Border Protection Command, Rear Admiral Allan du Toit, would not comment on the cause. “I really can’t speculate on the cause… I do emphasise that this is an ongoing incident," he...

THREE asylum seekers are dead, others missing and more than 40 injured after an explosion ripped through their boat today. Australian Navy personnel are also believed injured after the blast which occured as the boat carrying 49 asylum-seekers was being towed to Christmas Island. A West Australian Health spokeswoman said it was understood three people are dead, two are missing and 51 are injured. State Health co-ordinator Dr Andy Robertson said a number of casualties were expected at Truscott Airbase, near Kalumburu, where they would be met by medical teams from the Royal Flying Doctor Service, Broome and Derby Hospitals.

WA police have confirmed three people are dead and two are missing after a boat carrying 49 asylum seekers to Christmas Island exploded. WA Police Sergeant Greg Lambert confirmed the casualties, but it was unclear whether those killed were asylum seekers or navy personnel. ``It is believed an explosion has occurred in the engine compartment of a vessel,`` Sergeant Lambert said. ``It is believed that three people have been killed, two people are missing and others are injured, numbers are not yet known.'' The Home Affairs Minister Bob Debus is expected to release a statement and call a press conference...

SNIPPET: "Israeli naval patrol identifies Palestinian fishing boat moving towards Israel; boat, apparently unmanned, explodes as it nears coast; no injuries, damage reported. IDF sources believe incident was botched terror attack" SNIPPET: "A Palestinian fishing boat exploded as it neared the Israeli coast from the direction of Gaza. IDF sources estimated that the booby-trapped boat was activated by remote control and meant to explode near an Israeli Navy vessel or a coastal community. A naval patrol followed the boat for about an hour and spotted no people on board. As it was several hundred meters off the Gaza shore and...

04/13/2009 SNIPPET: "A home-made fire-bomb exploded at 3:25 a.m. at the KAPA Marines showcase, and the ensuing fire quickly spread throughout the two land plots where the company's pleasure craft are on display, totally destroying or causing extensive damage to more than 20 boats." SNIPPET: "Police bomb disposal experts are investigating the site, and have so far come up with two propane canisters."

HOUSTON -- One person was killed when a group of men tried to steal a boat while driving down a freeway, KPRC Local 2 reported. Houston police said three men in a car tried to steal a boat that a man was hauling with his pickup truck on Interstate 45 at about 1 a.m. Investigators said the men in the car opened fire on the man in the pickup truck. The man in the pickup truck returned fire, officials said. One of the men inside the car was killed. The driver of the car stopped at a gas station on...

Two days before NFL player Marquis Cooper took a doomed fishing trip with three friends in Florida Gulf Coast waters, a friend urged him to buy a life-saving device used to locate boats in distress. Cooper hadn't heard of the gadget, an emergency position indicating radio beacon (EPIRB). And he didn't purchase one before his excursion on Saturday, according to the St. Petersburg Times.

As the Coast Guard ended its search for three missing football players whose boat tipped over in high Florida seas, the lone survivor said two of those lost gave up after hours in the frigid water and the third tried to swim to safety. South Florida player Nick Schuyler told investigators that all four of the friends on a fishing excursion were initially wearing life vests and clinging to the 21-foot boat belonging to Oakland Raiders linebacker Marquis Cooper. But two to four hours after the boat capsized, one of the NFL players removed his life jacket and let...

The Coast Guard called off its search for three missing football players at sunset Tuesday. The news came after crews combed choppy waters off the Florida Gulf Coast for a third full day since NFL players Marquis Cooper and Corey Smith and a third friend William Bleakley disappeared. Their fishing boat capsized in stormy seas Saturday evening. One of the four on the excursion, Nick Schuyler, survived.

UPDATE: A family member tells us that the Coast Guard has found a boat with one person clinging to the side. We will have the details posted here as we learn them. http://www.tampabays10.com/news/local/story.aspx?storyid=101513&catid=8

I'm keeping things low key this weekend, my new meds make me groggy so I take pics between naps.

SNIPPET: "The fire was reported about 11:23 p.m. Thursday by someone who called 911 reporting flames coming from the covered slips at the Halls Crossing Marina, a remote part of Lake Powell on the Kane/San Juan County border. National Park Service firefighters from all over responded, some flying up from Page, Ariz., to help. Photographs provided to the Deseret News showed boats engulfed in flames and burned out hulls floatingon the water. There were more than 150 boats moored at the marina — firefighters saved about 130 of them." SNIPPET: "Anyone with information on the fire is asked to call...

Mumbai: At least 15 people have been injured in gunfights between two groups in at least three places in Mumbai on Thursday night. Details are sketchy but it is believed that two gangs fired at each other at outside CST Railway Terminus, Hotel Oberoi and the popular Café Leopold restaurant in Mumbai. The first shooting took place near the CST police station

Fishing Boat Sinks Off Alaska; 5 Killed, 2 Missing Thursday , October 23, 2008 ANCHORAGE, Alaska — Four crew members of a fishing boat were plucked alive from a life raft in frigid, stormy seas Wednesday, hours after their vessel was reported in distress, a Coast Guard spokesman says. Five crew members died, and two remained missing. A search continued for the remaining two crew members of the Katmai, a 93-foot fish processor based on Alaska's Kodiak island, Coast Guard Petty Officer Levi Read said. Read said two more deceased crew members were located Wednesday night by a fishing vessel...

NEW SMYRNA BEACH -- A married couple riding in a boat in the Intracoastal Waterway got an unexpected guest this morning when a dolphin leaped onto their boat and slid onto their laps. The woman, Barbara Howard of Mansfield, Ohio, was brought ashore at an Edgewater boat ramp and taken to Bert Fish Medical Center, where she was listed in stable condition this afternoon, Coast Guard officials said. Her husband, Norman Howard, 64, also was hospitalized for some scrapes and bruises but has since been released. The incident occurred about 10:40 a.m. near the North Causeway in New Smyrna Beach,...

Nicosia, Cyprus - On Monday, a movement known as FreeGaza.org held a press conference in Nicosia, Cyprus, in which a group of 40 people from around the world announced that they would board two small boats to travel by sea to Gaza to "break the siege" that Israel has placed upon Gaza. There was no acknowledgement that in June of 2007, the Hamas regime took over Gaza and formalized a total state of war against Israel with the aim of liberating all of Palestine and using Gaza as a stepping stone to recoup any and all land ruled by the...

Al Gore has a new boat and even it is green. The boat is docked at Hurricane Marina on Center Hill Lake in Smithville, about 70 miles east of Nashville. While it doesn't have solar panels yet, a spokesperson at Gore's office told News 2 they are scheduled to be installed Wednesday. The boat is named Bio-Solar One and has been called the "Toyota Prius of boats"...

More than 350 illegal immigrants landed in Italy on Saturday, a day after the Government extended a state of emergency in an effort to combat the problem, Italy's Ansa news agency said. Four boats carrying a total of 227 people were either picked up off the island of Lampedusa or reached land by themselves. Two Nigerian children on one of the boats died during the crossing, Ansa said. The bodies of the two children were thrown into the sea, their father told the crew of an Italian coast guard launch that rescued the group. He said his two-year-old son began...

Baptisms, Boaters Clashing In Soddy-Daisy by Jim Ashley posted July 19, 2008 Churches in Soddy-Daisy that plan to perform baptisms at public boat ramps will now have to first contact City Hall. That was the decision of the Soddy-Daisy Commission during its meeting this week. The unanimous decision was made following a report by Commissioner Geno Shipley, who said that on the Fourth of July, a local church held baptism services at a public boat ramp for about 40 people. And while the services were taking place, an individual with a boat to launch became impatient and went ahead and...

/begin my translation N. Koreans Going South by Boat: 6 times in this Month alone Only one out of ten wanting to return..."N. Korea beefing up shore surveillance" (Seoul=Yonhap News) Kim Kwi-geun = N. Koreans came down to the South by boat, 6 times in June alone, it has been disclosed. A government source said on June 26, "N. Korean people came into our territorial water 6 times in this month alone, both in West Sea(Yellow Sea) and East Sea(Sea of Japan.) This is highly unusual, and we are closely monitoring N. Korean reactions." He said, "In four of those...

Medieval boat found on Suffolk coast 25 June 2008 | 08:00 MARK LORD Rob Atfield of Suffolk County Council Archaeology department works on one of the pieces THE unearthing of a medieval boat on the north Suffolk coast is of “great national importance”, the archaeological team behind the discovery said last night. As reported in yesterday's EADT the remains were found during excavations at Sizewell in advance of the onshore works for the Greater Gabbard Wind Farm. The vessel, which was probably a small inshore fishing boat, was broken up sometime between the 12th and 14th Centuries and parts of...

Did Humans Colonize the World by Boat?Research suggests our ancestors traveled the oceans 70,000 years ago. by Heather Pringle Jon Erlandson shakes out what appears to be a miniature evergreen from a clear ziplock bag and holds it out for me to examine. As one of the world’s leading authorities on ancient seafaring, he has devoted much of his career to hunting down hard evidence of ancient human migrations, searching for something most archaeologists long thought a figment: Ice Age mariners. On this drizzly late-fall afternoon in a lab at the University of Oregon in Eugene, the 53-year-old Erlandson looks...

4/29/2008 - MOODY AIR FORCE BASE, Ga. (AFPN) -- Airmen from the 23rd Wing at Moody AFB performed a maritime rescue in the Gulf of Mexico April 25 that saved six lives. Moody Airmen responded by providing two HH-60G Pave Hawk helicopters from the 41st Rescue Squadron, a 71st RQS HC-130P King and pararescue assets from the 38th RQS. The wing received the support request from the Joint Personnel Recovery Center at Tyndall AFB, Fla., around 11 a.m. The request was in response to a report the Coast Guard received from the Eos, an 800-foot Panamanian-flagged tanker ship operating in...

Texan and super-conservative Bob Perry formally endorsed Brian Klock for the Texas Congressional seat in CD-22. A Republican candidate for the District 22 congressional seat will be getting a lot of attention today with a very unique campaign ad. klockforcongress.orgIt's yet to be seen just whether it's negative or in his favor. Now in the private sector, Brian Klock remains a commander in the US Navy Reserve. He's an underdog candidate trying to gain new ground. Later Monday, his campaign will unveil a billboard (pictured above) on the Southwest Freeway near Fountainview. It shows crosshairs trained on downtown Houston, it...

(AGI) - Agrigento, 11th January - The captain of an Italian fishing boat, Mariano Ruggiero, 46, has been taken into custody by the Carabinieri at Lampedusa (Agrigento) on the charge of murdering an illegal migrant. According to reports obtained last night, in the offshore waters around fifty miles south of the Pelagius Isles, a dinghy with around 60 migrants on board which was making the crossing from North Africa, crossed courses with an Italian fishing boat. One immigrant, probably of Somali origin, dived into the water and managed to reach the fishing boat, but the captain of the craft prevented...

The fastest eco boat on the planet will attempt to break the round the world speed record using fuel made from human fat. Pete Bethune, the New Zealand skipper of Earthrace, said the attempt to circumnavigate the globe would begin from Valencia in Spain on March 1 next year. Bethune and his wife mortgaged their house and sold everything they own to help make the project happen, while continuing to seek support from sponsors. Demonstrating further commitment to the cause, Bethune underwent liposuction and donated enough to produce 100ml of biofuel, while two other, larger volunteers also had the procedure,...

Swedish boaters may soon need to pass a 'driving test' before taking to the seas. Should a forthcoming government proposal gain acceptance the new requirement will apply to boats that are over seven metres long and/or have a top speed of at least ten knots. "Between 200,000 and 250,000 boat owners may need to take the driving test," said Lars Högdahl from the Ministry of Enterprise. A generous set of transitional rules may however soften the blow. Seasoned boaters with many years of documented experience will for example be eligible for a licence without needing to first pass a test....

SAN DIEGO: A 19-foot pleasure boat suspected of smuggling was found yesterday on U.S. Navy property just north of Point Loma. Officials believe the boat had been there at least a day. No one was on board when lifeguards searched it. City lifeguards received the report of a grounded vessel in the Sunset Cliffs area shortly after 12:30 p.m., said San Diego Lifeguard Service Lt. Andy Lerum. Lifeguards checked on it and ruled out the possibility that a person was in distress. Lerum said the vessel is registered to a Tijuana resident. He said that based on an initial investigation,...

About 20 Haitian migrants were killed when their boat capsized early Friday off the coast of Turks and Caicos. Another 78 were rescued and as many as 60 could still be missing, according to a police spokeswoman on the island. The U.S. Coast Guard, which assisted in the rescue, said a Turks and Caicos police boat towed the migrants' boat as it capsized, but authorities on the island denied that. Some of the bodies recovered appeared to have had limbs chewed off by sharks, according to the U.S. Coast Guard and reports from the island.

AMSTERDAM, The Netherlands, April 24, 2007 (LifeSiteNews.com) - A Dutch abortion boat has been granted government permission to perform abortions in international waters on women up to 7 weeks pregnant, despite a massive national and international outcry, the Times online reported earlier today. The boat has caused an uproar at home in the Netherlands and abroad. Condemned by governments and pro-life organizations as a propaganda tool for pro-abortion activists, the abortion boat has come under intense criticism for offering to perform abortions on women from countries where the procedure is illegal. Operated by Women on Waves, the abortion boat...

CHRISTMAS, Fla. -- A popular Central Florida tourist attraction faces fines this weekend after a tour boat filled with children and other riders began to take on water and sink in alligator-infested water. Officials said a boat at Jungle Adventures Nature Park in Christmas was carrying more than 12 people Saturday when it broke down during the tour. "All of the sudden, water started coming in through the rear and the guide told us to shift to the front, right side of the boat," rider Evangelo Mondo said. "We had gators out there. We were all very scared the water...

GENEVA (AFP) - A Swiss-made catamaran has become the first solar-powered boat to cross the Atlantic after reaching the French Caribbean island of Martinique, the boat's owners said. Sun21 reached Martinique's Le Marin harbour at 3:00 pm (1900 GMT) on Friday, 63 days after leaving the Spanish port of Chipiona near Cadiz, the Transatlantic21 partnership said on its website. The 14 metre (46 feet) boat largely followed the historic route sailed by explorer Christopher Columbus on the first known maritime crossing of the Atlantic in the 15th century, making its last stopover in the Canary Islands. The catamaran covered the...

2,500-year-old boat coffin to reveal mysterious Chinese kingdom With abundant cultural relics, a boat-shaped coffin dating back nearly 2,500 years has unearthed recently in southwest China's Sichuan Province, giving expectation to reveal true history of a mysterious kingdom in the area. Located in a construction site in Feilong Village of Heshan Town in Pujiang County, the coffin was discovered on Dec. 5 by workers when they were conducting mud-digging 1.5 meters deep underground. The Pujiang County was part of the Shu Kingdom, which has kept mysterious because no written record about its history and culture left over in the past...

I found the above and thought that perhaps others here would like to share their opinions how the lives of four seagulls stack up against what else is going on in the rest of the world with Mr. Ragan (tragan@santacruzsentinel.com). For what it's worth here's my response to his article... Dear Mr. Ragan, Given what's going on in Iraq, why should four dead seagulls be of any consequence whatsoever? The story reads as if the lives of these birds equate to those of humans. I realize that there are many who believe they do (particularly in California), but those of...

The first powerboat to run entirely on biodiesel fuel -- a renewable, non-hazardous fuel made from plant and animal products including canola, soy and palm oils -- visited Boston this weekend as part of a worldwide promotional tour designed to raise awareness about alternative fuel sources. As part of the tour, the Earthrace boat will try to break the current powerboat record of 75 days for equatorial circumnavigation of the globe, aiming to complete its trip in less than 65 days. New Zealand-native Pete Bethune, who invested his life savings in this project, founded the Earthrace organization. Now the...

RIDGELAND, S.C. -- It's not terribly easy to parallel park an automobile on a lake. Now, John Giljam knows this to be as true as the highway is long, and for good reason: He's tried to park his car on a lake -- and on rivers, ponds, even the Intracoastal Waterway. Giljam, in fact, has practiced not only parking on water; he's become quite adept at turning sharply on it. (He no longer gets drenched in a curtain of spume when cornering, he'll have you know.) And he's mastered the art of steering clear of critters - geese, mostly, though...

GEORGETOWN - A shipwreck that could be the remains of a lost Confederate blockade runner, or possibly a vessel that predates the Civil War, was found Thursday near the entrance to Winyah Bay, researchers said. Divers from the Maritime Research Division of the S.C. Institute of Archaeology and Anthropology dove in about 13 feet of water and discovered a vessel that is about 90 feet long, with a wooden hull and a possible copper coating. The wreck could be the Sir Robert Peel, a blockade runner that was used by Confederate soldiers to get supplies to Georgetown during the Civil...

Boats collide during 'poker run'; 5 dead JUDI BOLAND Associated Press WILLIS, Okla. - Steve Dover was vacationing at Lake Texoma when he saw two speedboats boats take off for a poker competition. They never returned. Dover said he knew something had gone wrong when he saw the Oklahoma Highway Patrol and other emergency vehicles. The boats collided during the High Roller Poker Run on Saturday. Four people died at the scene and two were flown to the hospital, where one later died, according to the patrol. "There was just floating debris," Dover said. "We've seen life vests, we've seen...