Florida Marine Service Files Salvage Lawsuit After Sinking Marlow Yacht Rescued on Lake Okeechobee

Black Water Marine Services, LLC, a Florida business doing business as TowBoatUS Lake Okeechobee, has filed a maritime salvage lawsuit in the Southern District of Florida. The lawsuit, filed under Case No. 9:26-cv-80560-DMM, targets the vessel M/V Mist, a 2018 Marlow 53 yacht, in rem, alongside its owner, Mist Marine Holdings LLC, in personam. The legal action arises from an emergency rescue operation on Lake Okeechobee where the plaintiff successfully saved the luxury yacht from completely sinking after a catastrophic onboard water intrusion.

Emergency Salvor Responds to Mayday Call on Lake Okeechobee to Save Sinking Luxury Marlow Yacht

According to the verified complaint, the incident occurred on May 20, 2024, at approximately 1:00 PM. The Marlow 53 yacht was underway through Lake Okeechobee when the captain and apparent beneficial owner noticed that the vessel was performing sluggishly and experiencing severely impaired maneuverability. After slowing the vessel to an idle, the captain inspected the engine room door window and discovered significant water accumulating rapidly and shooting across the engine room space. Recognizing the immediate danger of sinking, the captain issued an urgent Mayday call over VHF Channel 16. Nearby towing units heard the broadcast and immediately contacted the plaintiff, while the United States Coast Guard and the Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission also alerted the emergency salvors. The plaintiff quickly dispatched two salvage units captained by professional salvors Ian Veltri and Frank Pucci to coordinates provided by the Coast Guard. Upon arriving at the initial coordinates, the rescue teams found the vessel was missing and had to initiate a grid pattern search to locate the imperiled yacht.

Professional Salvors Deploy High Powered Dewatering Pumps as Yacht Passengers Prepare to Abandon Ship

The situation grew increasingly critical while the salvage teams were searching for the vessel. Believing that the luxury yacht would completely submerge, the captain and his wife prepared to abandon ship and were boarding their dinghy just as the first salvor arrived on the scene. The responding salvor found the vessel actively sinking with a severe stern down attitude and the swim platform already submerged under the water. Upon boarding the vessel, the salvor navigated into the engine room and discovered several feet of water that had already reached the flywheels of the still running engines. Water was actively flowing over the forward engine room door into the living quarters companionway, threatening to submerge major appliances and electronics. Utilizing professional skills and specialized emergency equipment, the salvor immediately deployed two high powered dewatering pumps with combined pumping capacities of 150 gallons per minute to counteract the flooding. At that time, the captain filled out and signed a formal salvage contract with the plaintiff. A second professional salvor arrived shortly thereafter and immediately shut down the engines and generator to prevent further damage and secure the vessel.

Broken Washdown Pump Output Hose Identified as Source of Severe Water Intrusion in Yacht Hull

While the high powered pumps worked to clear the engine room, the salvage team conducted a thorough survey to identify the source of the rapid water intrusion. Investigators discovered that the vessel bilge pumps were completely inoperable. The team identified the source of the flooding as a broken saltwater washdown pump output hose that was hidden behind the starboard engine, which had been spraying water at high pressure directly into the hull. The professional salvors successfully sealed off the failed hose, cut power to the underlying pump, and closed the water intake seacock to permanently stop the water intrusion. It took approximately two hours of continuous pumping to completely dewater the vessel. Although the team initially prepared the yacht for an emergency tow to a nearby shipyard, the National Weather Service suddenly issued a special marine warning indicating a severe storm was fast approaching the area. The salvors reassessed the situation and determined it was safest to pilot the vessel under its own power to a safe harbor to protect both the vessel and the salvors from the incoming weather. The yacht was safely escorted to a marina in Clewiston, Florida, and later to a yachting center for further evaluation.

Plaintiff Seeks Substantial Maritime Salvage Award Based on Post Casualty Value of Saved Luxury Vessel

The lawsuit asserts that the plaintiff successfully saved the vessel from a position of extreme marine peril. Without these rapid professional efforts, the yacht likely would have completely sunk or sustained catastrophic damage to its high value engines, generators, electronics, and interior furnishings. The complaint states that the pre casualty value of the luxury yacht was as much as 2,375,000 dollars, and it sustained roughly 32,000 dollars in water damage, leaving a post casualty fair market value of approximately 2,343,000 dollars. The signed maritime contract specifies that the reasonable value of the services rendered is 15 percent of the insured value of the vessel, which the plaintiff estimates to be at least 356,250 dollars. The plaintiff brings multiple legal theories against the defendants, including breach of maritime contract, a claim for a pure salvage award, and foreclosure of a maritime lien for salvage against both the vessel in rem and the corporate owner in personam. The plaintiff seeks a full judgment for the salvage value, pre judgment interest, contractual interest, and all associated attorneys fees and costs.

Contact an Experienced Maritime Law and Vessel Salvage Attorney Today to Protect Your Marine Property Rights

Vessel owners, operators, and marine service providers involved in emergency rescues, vessel flooding incidents, or contract disputes on navigable waters must navigate complex federal maritime laws to protect their interests. Under general maritime law, professional salvors who risk their equipment and safety to rescue imperiled vessels are entitled to liberal salvage awards and preferred maritime liens against the property saved. If you are facing a legal dispute involving marine salvage contracts, vessel negligence, yacht insurance claims, or maritime liens, contacting an experienced maritime attorney is essential to understanding your rights. Our dedicated legal team provides knowledgeable guidance to help clients resolve complex maritime disputes effectively.

Contact us now to speak with a knowledgeable maritime law attorney.

Disclaimer: Our firm does not represent the plaintiff in this case and is not involved in the litigation. The information provided is a summary of allegations based on publicly available court filings. We make no representations about the truth of these allegations, are not commenting on the merits of the case, and are not predicting any outcome.