Running without the key in it?
The boats I know have a strap from the key to the driver so that if the driver goes overboard, the boat stops instead of running away from or over the driver...
I know a lot of people who don’t use it, but I thought if the key came out the boat would turn off.
Yeah, but I’ve seen those so-called “deadman switches” fail in some weird ways. It is unlikely that the diesel engine started of its own accord either...
I think you may have an idea of the obvious conclusion I’ve come to. The authorities might want to see who that boat belongs to.
Re: The boat on the road “still running”. It may have been the generator. It’d have been a prudent precation to start the generator and vacate the vessel. In that way the batteries would have remained charged as the bilge pump(s) ran. Just a thought. It’ll take some time before we know the true estimate of lives and propery lost. : (( I always hate these things.