On Thursday morning on the Severn River near Annapolis, a U.S. Coast Guard service member vaulted onto a speeding, unmanned boat and brought it to a stop after the craft’s operator was thrown overboard. The operator was rescued by his son on a trailing jet ski and later evaluated with no medical concerns. Video of the dramatic maneuver quickly spread across social media.
How the rescue unfolded
In the viral clip, the captain-less boat can be seen carving tight circles on the Severn while a Station Annapolis response boat hangs just off its beam. Crew members maneuver alongside, trying to slow the vessel enough to safely get a hand on it. After matching speed and lining up, one crew member makes the jump, lands on the runaway boat, scrambles to the helm, and quickly brings the engine under control. The footage was shared in a post from DHS on X.
Boarding and the response
According to The Banner, Coast Guard Station Annapolis was alerted just after 9 a.m. on Thursday, and crews managed to stop the unmanned boat roughly an hour later. The boater was "ejected" after executing a high-speed turn and was pulled from the water by his son. He was evaluated and found to have no medical concerns. The Maryland Natural Resources Police, which the story says is leading the investigation, told reporters the runaway craft measured about 28 feet.
Who jumped aboard
Petty Officer 2nd Class James Fulton is pictured in official Station Annapolis materials, including a Station Annapolis photo gallery. Fulton told The Banner the decision to leap onto the boat "just made sense," adding that this was the third time he has performed a similar rescue. Station Annapolis trains for high-speed small-boat operations, but boarding a full-throttle, unmanned recreational vessel remains an uncommon and risky tactic.
Why engine cut-off switches matter
The incident is a textbook example of why the engine cut-off switch, often a coiled lanyard or wireless fob tied to the operator, is treated as a crucial safety device. Federal rules require operators to use an ECOS link on many recreational boats under 26 feet, and the U.S. Coast Guard has promoted these devices as a way to prevent dangerous runaway-vessel situations like this one. For examples of similar responses where crews first attempted nets or other fixes before boarding, see local coverage from WPTV and guidance from the U.S. Coast Guard.
What this means locally
For Annapolis boaters, the clip is an unusually vivid reminder that a split-second mistake or skipped safety step can send a powerful vessel careening through crowded waterways, putting people and nearby property at risk. Maryland Natural Resources Police and Coast Guard officials continue to review the incident as the video keeps racing through online feeds.
