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Sturgeon collision in Suwannee injures
two Brevard teens
July 6, 2007
Contact: Karen Parker (386) 758-0525
Two Brevard County teenagers escaped serious
injury Thursday when they collided with a sturgeon in the
Suwannee River while riding a personal watercraft.
Alli Katrick, 14, of Mims, and Kori Snitker, 17,
of Titusville, were riding with a group of family and friends in
the Suwannee when a 6-foot sturgeon dealt them a glancing blow,
according to Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission
(FWC) officers.
FWC Officer Dwain Mobley said the group on five
personal watercraft approached his boat, asking for assistance.
Mobley and Officer Matt Tyre provided basic first aid to the two
girls, who said the sturgeon jumped in front of them around the
Rock Bluff area.
“The girls had sustained minor cuts and
abrasions from the leaping fish,” Mobley said.
“The two girls were very upset and didn’t want
to get back on their personal watercraft,” Mobley said. “So we
put them on our patrol boat and led the group back to the
Branford boat ramp where they had put in.”
After getting the group back to the boat ramp,
officers gave the adults in the group directions to the nearest
hospital so the girls could be checked over.
“These two teens were very lucky,” Mobley said.
“According to other witnesses who saw the collision, the fish
was very large and could have hurt them severely.”
According to Mobley, the group had seen media
coverage about sturgeon jumping on the Suwannee River and heard
about injuries other boaters had sustained.
“I’m extremely glad to hear that these two girls
were not seriously injured,” said Maj. Bruce Hamlin, regional
commander for the FWC’s North Central Region in Lake City.
“However, this should serve as a warning to other boaters on the
Suwannee. We want people to enjoy the recreational opportunities
on the river, but also, we want people to be aware that these
fish do jump and can hurt you.
“Please don’t think this can’t happen to you. If
you are recreating on the Suwannee River during the summer
months, there’s a good chance you could encounter a sturgeon
jumping out of the water,” Hamlin said.
So far this year, the FWC has documented five
sturgeon strikes, with seven people injured:
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March 31: Sharon Touchton, 50, of St.
Petersburg, was knocked from her personal watercraft (PWC)
while traveling north on the river with her PWC club just
upriver from the Wannee boat ramp. She sustained serious
injuries.
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June 10: Tara Spears, 32, of Bell,
was struck just north of Rock Bluff near the CR 340 bridge.
She was knocked unconscious and taken to the hospital.
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June 24: Taylor Lane Owen, 6, of Old
Town and Kelly Clafin, 20, of Williston, were injured when a
sturgeon jumped into their boat. Taylor received a broken
leg, and Clafin was bruised.
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July 1: Derrick Maynard, 14, Old
Town, was struck while he was riding in a boat. He and two
friends had seen a large sturgeon jump. They slowed down and
were idling near the bank when a 2-footer jumped up and hit
him in the chest. The fish slid down his legs, cutting him.
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July 5: Katrick and Snitker were hit.
“The documented strikes for 2006 resulted in the
worst year on record, with eight people directly hit by sturgeon
and two injured when they swerved to avoid a jumping fish and
hit a bridge piling,” Hamlin said. “However, the numbers for
2007 show a trend that could top 2006. At this point last year,
there were three documented strikes, with three injuries. People
need to be cautious when on the Suwannee. I cannot emphasize
that enough.”
The Gulf sturgeon makes its way from the Gulf of
Mexico each spring into the Suwannee to spawn. The fish return
to the Gulf during winter months. These fish can grow to 8 feet
in length and weigh 200 pounds.
“It’s important to document the strikes,” Hamlin
said. “We are mapping out the locations of each strike to
determine jumping ‘hot spots.’”
FWC officials are requesting that all sturgeon
strikes be reported. Boaters can call toll-free 1-888-404-3922
to report collisions. |
