Watch Fla. Police Marine Unit Make Dramatic Stop of Out-of-Control Boat

Video footage captured members of the Sarasota Police Department's Marine Unit as they, along with several other agencies, worked to stop a boat that had lost its operator and was traveling in out-of-control circles.

Joe Vince

April 30, 2025

Members of a Florida police force's marine unit made a daring stop of an out-of-control boat Monday.

The Sarasota Police Marine Unit responded to a call of a boater in distress near the Ringling Museum, the department stated in a social media post. The boater had apparently fallen overboard, and the boat was traveling in circles at roughly 40 mph.

Police, along with several other agencies, worked to try to get the vessel under control. Multiple attempts to stop the boat were unsuccessful until SeaTow, a boat towing company, was able to deploy a plasma tow line, reducing the vessel's speed.

That's when an officer was able to move up next to the boat while a lieutenant made a daring leap to the vessel. Once aboard, the lieutenant was able to get the boat under control.

Later, the boat's operator told police that he was thrown from the vessel when a larger boat cut in front of him. He wasn't wearing a life jacket, and the boat's emergency cut-off switch wasn't engaged.

About the Author

Joe Vince

Joining Endeavor Business Media in 2018, Joe has worked on the company's city services publications. He began working at OFFICER.com as the assistant editor. Before starting at Endeavor, Joe had worked for a variety of print and online news outlets, including the Indianapolis Star, the South Bend Tribune, Reddit and Patch.com.