Leesfield & Partners boating cases Tag Archives

Published on: December 9, 2025

Coast Guard ends Search for Missing Diver in the Florida Keys. What to Know.

The search for a diver reported missing over the weekend was suspended Sunday, pending further information, according to the U.S. Coast Guard.

Ellen Ruth Domb, 79, of North Palm Beach, was reported missing following a dive Friday morning at the USNS Hoyt S. Vanderberg wreck off of Key West. In an online statement from the Monroe County Sheriff’s Office, officials said that Domb was separated from her dive buddy within minutes of entering the water. There were strong currents that day, according to the statement.

The 150-to-200-foot dive is a popular one, attracting thousands of divers annually. It is the second largest shipwreck in the world. The former missile tracking ship was intentionally sunk nearly seven miles south of Key West in 2009 to be used as an artificial reef, according to the Miami Herald.

Published on: June 27, 2025

Man, 23, ‘Vanishes’ on Utah Lake Following Jet Ski Crash, officials say

By Leesfield & Partners

A 23-year-old disappeared after he flipped on a jet ski in a Utah lake with his cousin, according to reporting from The Miami Herald.

The man, whose name had not been released as of Wednesday afternoon, was last seen around 5:30 p.m. on June 22 near a marina, officials with the Utah County Sherrif’s Office Search and Rescue team said via a Facebook news release. The man was riding the jet ski with his cousin, who was rescued by someone in a nearby boat.

The search continued until at least 1 a.m. on June 23. Some witnesses reported seeing waves between 2 and 3 feet high.

Published on: May 7, 2025

What Sarasota Police Didn’t Find on Out-of-Control Boat Raises Concerns on Important Safety Issue in Florida.

By Leesfield & Partners

Police in Sarasota chased down a speeding and out of control boat this week, but there was no operator on board to be investigated.

That is because the vessel’s operator, who was not wearing the kill switch, had been ejected when the vessel hit a wake. As a result, the man was thrown into the water without a life jacket as his unoccupied vessel sped off at 40 mph. When the vessel’s operator was thrown off, he broke two fingers but was otherwise uninjured, according to reporting from Fox News.

Fortunately, officers with the Sarasota Police Department’s Marine Patrol were able to catch up with the vessel, hop on and shut it off before anyone else was injured.