Crabber saved after falling from runaway boat on Wicomico River

[David]

Maryland Natural Resources Police spent two hours Wednesday wrestling a runaway boat to a stop on the Wicomico River in St. Mary’s County.

Candy Thomson, a spokeswoman for the NRP, said that around 9:30 a.m. Wednesday, the police got a call for a man overboard and a runaway boat.


As the crabber slipped and fell overboard, Thomson said, he hit the throttle causing the boat to go faster.

http://www.abc2news.com/news/state/man-slips-overboard-police-spend-2-hours-wrangling-boat-to-a-stop

Photos from DNR/NRP

Direct from DNR:

Good Samaritan Helps Officers Rescue Crabber; Police Arrest Two for Impaired Boating

Maryland Natural Resources Police corral a runaway crab boat on the Wicomico as well as arrest two impaired boaters.

A good Samaritan and four officers teamed up Wednesday morning to rescue a crabber who fell overboard and chase down and corral his runaway boat on the Wicomico River in St. Mary's County.Maryland Natural Resources Police patrol boat closes in on runaway vessel on the Wicomico River

Officers got the call at 9:25 a.m. from a witness who saw Todd Wesley Thompson, 51, of King George, Va., tumble into the river from his 22-foot C-Hawk.

Making matters worse: As he slipped and went overboard while tending his trotline, Thompson struck the throttle, sending the boat into a high-speed circle. Thompson was trapped inside the circling boat and had to keep pushing himself away from it.

Timing his approach, the good Samaritan swooped in and pulled the exhausted Thompson aboard as he was about to go under.

Officers tracked his boat, traveling about 15 knots, and began trying to foul the propeller with life jackets and line. After countless attempts, they slowed the boat enough so that an officer could board and stop it.

Thompson was checked by local medical personnel and released.