yacht sinks in fort lauderdale

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Yacht begins taking on water off fort lauderdale.

Andrea Martinez , Reporter

FORT LAUDERDALE, Fla. – Fort Lauderdale Fire Rescue crews responded to the scene of a yacht taking on water Wednesday.

Sky 10 was above the area of Fort Royal Isle and Northeast 34th Avenue around 11 a.m.

According to first responders, the boat began to sink due to a bilge pump issue.

Sky 10 footage shows about a dozen first responders -- including a private contractor and divers -- working to clear out the bilge pump problem that caused the boat to partially sink.

The bilge pump is designed to automatically pump out any water that enters the hull of the boat, from either leaks, waves, or even rain.

When the pump gets stuck, too much water can overflow and disrupt the balance of the vessel.

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About the Author:

Andrea martinez.

A South Florida native, Andrea Martinez joined the Local 10 News team as a reporter in April 2021.

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Watch CBS News

13 rescued minutes before yacht sinks off Fort Lauderdale's coast

January 25, 2016 / 11:31 PM EST / CBS News

FORT LAUDERDALE, Fla. - The United States Coast Guard said 13 people were rescued from a 106-foot yacht that sank in the waters off Fort Lauderdale Monday evening, reports CBS Miami.

The Serena III yacht sent out a distress call shortly before 6 p.m. on Monday about the boat taking on water, according to Sea Tow Marine Towing and Salvage. Less than two hours after that the yacht was gone.

"It just gradually took on more and more water and then it went down by the stern and rolled," said Sea Tow Captain Tim Morgan to CBS Miami. "Then it went under the waves."

The Coast Guard says the yacht sank about 13 miles east of Sunrise Boulevard in Fort Lauderdale, Florida.

CBS Miami reports that the Coast Guard was able to rescue everyone on-board minutes before it sank. There are no reports of injuries.

#breakingnews @USCGSoutheast rescues 13 from yacht minutes b4 sinking... All safe and taken to Miami via CG Cutter. pic.twitter.com/Y8FZu0wowO — USCGSoutheast (@USCGSoutheast) January 26, 2016

Morgan told CBS Miami it appeared a mechanical problem might be to blame. He said it's fortunate that the ship was relatively close to shore so Coast Guard could rescue passengers.

In the dark, with water rushing on board the yacht, Morgan said it was impossible to save.

"The amount of water it was taking and how quickly the boat sank, really, I don't think much anybody would have been able to do," Morgan said.

The Coast Guard continues to investigate the sinking.

More from CBS News

Popular Food Boat Sinks in Waters Off Fort Lauderdale

The incident took place in the intercoastal waterway when jay's sandbar food boat began to sink, by claudia docampo • published may 9, 2022 • updated on may 9, 2022 at 7:11 pm.

The owners of a popular food boat are vowing to rebuild after the vessel sunk in the waters off Fort Lauderdale on Sunday.

The incident took place in the Intercoastal Waterway when Jay's Sandbar Food Boat began to sink.

In a message posted on social media, the owners said a stabilizer pontoon caused the vessel to go underwater. No one was injured, but the owners said it was a "total loss."

"It was the most awful thing I've ever seen in my life," said owner Jay Lyke. "And I built that boat, so I knew immediately that the pontoons had snapped because it's got stabilizing outriggers on the side because it's so big. If we didn't have those, it would fall over." 

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He recalled when the boat started to sink.

"My crew was starting to scramble," he said. "My hostess, Collette — she jumped out the side, and then the boat started to roll up higher, and then my chef was kind of trapped, so he basically scurried out the top and climbed to the top, now he's 15 feet over the water."

But besides worrying about his crew, Lyke was fearing something worse. 

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"The boat can explode because it's a restaurant and we've got, you know, 15 gallons of 400 degrees fryer oil," he said.

In the end no one was hurt, and nothing exploded. But Lyke lives on a boat with his girlfriend Collette and the restaurant boat was his only way of making a living. 

"We're trying to get salvage companies together because the boat is a total loss, and it's really sad to see, it was a magical place," he said.

"It could have been much worse, my crews is more important than anything," the business' social media message read in part. "It was never easy but we enjoyed you guys. We will rebuild."

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