A Florida man has died after being caught in a boat's propeller while on a fishing trip with friends off the Sunshine State's west coast.
The tragic incident occurred around 11:40 a.m. Wednesday about two miles north of the Dunedin Causeway on the Intercoastal Waterway, according to the Pinellas County Sheriff's Office.
Charles Burns, 66, was fishing with his friend William Cogner near Three Rooker Island in Cogner's 17-foot Key West boat.
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The Pinellas County Sheriff's Office responded to a water rescue call Wednesday after a man was struck by a boat and became entangled in its propeller. (Ron Buskirk/UCG/Universal Images Group via Getty Images)
Burns was reportedly sitting on a cooler at the front of the boat while Cogner was driving.
When Kohnur took his hands off the steering wheel to fix his fishing rod, the boat “pulled sharply to the right,” sending the two men into the water, the sheriff's office said.
Kohnur was able to swim back to the boat, but Burns ended up being run over by the boat. His right arm became entangled in the motor's propeller and he was dragged underwater.
Charles Burns, 66, was pronounced dead after Pinellas County first responders arrived at the boat. (Reuters)
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Coughner signaled to other boaters for help and tried to pull Burns out of the water, but was unable to do so.
When first responders arrived, Burns was pronounced dead at the scene.
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“During the investigation, deputies observed nothing suspicious and determined that impairment was not a factor in the incident,” the sheriff's office said.
