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Man Rescued After 'Runaway' Dinghy Spins Out of Control Off Miami

US Coast Guard officials in Miami, Florida, say the operator of a boat that spun out of control near Fisherman’s Channel on Monday, April 12, was lucky he only sustained minor injuries.

Footage released by the coast guard shows crews from Coast Guard Station Miami Beach and the Miami-Dade Fire Rescue deliberately entangling the boat’s propellor to bring it to a stop.

Before they arrived, a Good Samaritan had rescued the boat’s operator, who had been thrown from the “runaway” vessel and did not have a life jacket, the coast guard said in a press statement.

The man sustained a minor injury but declined medical assistance, the coast guard added.

Petty Officer First Class Andrew Sanchez, the coast guard’s command duty officer in Miami, said the boater was “fortunate the situation was not worse” and noted that new regulations had recently been enacted to prevent such incidents.

“As of April 1, vessels 26 feet and under are required to have an engine cut-off switch, and operators are required to wear the lanyard to stop accidents such as this one,” said Sanchez. Credit: US Coast Guard District 7 via Storyful