Sadly, four commercial fishermen were rescued by the U.S. Coast Guard last month when their 63-foot boat ran aground near Fort Lauderdale Beach.

According to media reports, the Joyce Lynn II was heading back after a crabbing expedition when it ran aground on submerged reef, north of Port Everglades, in Florida. According to reports, as Coast Guard rescuers were attempting to reach the fishermen aboard the vessel, rough surf pushed rocks against it.

Due to the force of the waves, the fishing vessel started to take on water and the fishermen onboard were forced to disabled the ship and wait for a Coast Guard rescue. Unfortunately, one fisherman sustained injuries during the rescue when he was forced to jump into the water.

“When the Coast Guard came in [with a rescue vessel], the two boats came together, and [the fisherman] was trying to jump over to the other one, and he slipped, and the boats crushed him in the middle,” a witness to the rescue told WSVN-TV. “He has a lot of injuries internally now.”

The fisherman reportedly had to undergo emergency surgery and was placed in a nearby hospital’s intensive care unit. The vessel is a golden crabbing boat that supplies seafood to wholesalers in the area.

Speaking to an Attorney About a Fishing Accident

As this case shows, commercial fishermen can suffer serious injuries on the job. These are maritime workers who often spend hours performing physically demanding labor in order to make money to support their family. This is why they are protected in certain cases through specialized laws including the Jones Act.

It should be noted that our attorneys have been able to obtain full maintenance and cure for many injured commercial fishing employees hurt in fishing vessel accidents. Our clients have been employed on all types of fishing vessels, including draggers, scalloping, seiners and clamming boats.

In the video above, attorney David Anderson will explain maintenance and cure. For further information about maritime law and injury incidents, visit our Facebook or Twitter pages.

Latti & Anderson LLP – Nationwide Maritime Attorneys