Man Falls Off Boat in Florida; Boat Found in Alabama

PANAMA CITY BEACH – It may go down as one of the most bizarre boating accidents in years, but a 41-year-old Georgia man is recovering in Bay Medical Center after falling overboard April 17 while cobia fishing off Panama City Beach.

The 24-foot Century boat, which was borrowed, ran out of gas and was found beached Sunday morning at Fort Morgan, Ala.

Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission Officer Jeff Gager said Michael Bursten of Roswell, Ga., was cobia fishing by himself Friday afternoon in rough seas off the western end of Panama City Beach in the Laguna Beach area when he attempted to climb down from the “ling tower.” A wave hit the boat, pitching Bursten overboard, the FWC said in a press release.

The trouble was he had left the boat in gear, albeit running slowly, but all he could do was watch the vessel slowly chug off to the west and out of sight.

Bursten fell overboard roughly 300 yards offshore. Several beachgoers heard him holler for help and swam out to him.

Bursten, who was not wearing a life jacket, was admitted to the hospital for water inhalation and remains hospitalized.

Gager said the U.S. Coast Guard and Bay County Sheriff’s Office deputies also responded to the accident, and everyone thought the vessel would be found later, somewhere down the beach or perhaps in Walton County.

Saturday passed, and there was still no word about the vessel. Chris Palomba, the boat’s owner who lives in Lawrenceville, Ga., hired a private pilot to begin an aerial search, but then word came on Sunday the vessel was found beached in Alabama.

The distance between Panama City Beach and Fort Morgan is about 130 miles.

“Most boats, if you don’t hold the wheel steady, will turn to the right or left. There were 15-20 knot winds Friday and 6-foot seas and it’s just amazing the vessel ended up where it did,” Gager said.

Lilly Store Opens In P.B. Gardens

PALM BEACH GARDENS – A new Lilly Pulitzer store opened in Palm Beach Gardens at The Gardens mall. The Gardens, on PGA Boulevard, is also home to a new Macy’s eatery by Todd English called Figs.

The April opening was featured on the trendsetting website The Selvedge Yard; they snapped a photo of Lilly in a story on the opening entitled Pink-a-palooza. The store opened April 17, 2009; it is the second company owned store in Palm Beach County.

Lilly Pulitzer, the company, was born in Palm Beach, started by Lilly Pulitzer. She ran a citrus stand in Palm Beach, and legend says that she came up with the bright prints to hide juice stains.

The company gained fame when Jackie Kennedy wore her famous shifts.

Other elements of the “Palm Beach” style include Bonnano and Jack Rogers sandals.

Visit their website at LillyPulitzer.com

Women’s Polo Cup in Miami Beach

MIAMI BEACH – The first ever South Beach Women’s Polo Cup will take place on the sand, between 20th and 22nd streets, behind The Setai on Thursday, April 30th. The popularity of beach Polo has taken on a new face with the introduction of the First Annual South Beach Women’s Polo Cup in Miami Beach. Eight teams comprised of some of the most talented women polo players will be descending on the sands of South Beach in the first such event.

“The idea of playing polo on the beach is an exciting concept,” says Sunny Hale, President of the Women’s Championship Tournament and the highest rated female polo player in the world. Rated at an impressive 5-goals in the arena and on the sand, Hale is expected to set the bar for the field of 18-24 players who will be participating in this inaugural event. Joining Sunny Hale on the beach is model Paula Chermont who will be leading a Brazilian team into play. This year the South Beach Women’s Polo Cup will precede the 2009 Miami Beach Polo World Cup.

The 2009 Miami Beach Polo World Cup, one of the world’s largest, will take place for the fifth consecutive year. The excitement filled weekend will wrap up on Sunday, May 3rd with the trophy ceremony, immediately followed by the “Polo Rocks” beach bash at the VIP tent on the sand.

General admission to the tournaments is free. Three and four day packages are also available from $350, which include attendance to the First Annual South Beach Women’s Polo Cup and the V Miami Beach Polo World Cup. VIP ticket holders will enjoy access to the VIP lounge area with catering and open bar provided by Bombay Sapphire and Grey Goose. See www.miamipolo.com or call 866-468-7630.

Yolo Boards in Destin, Florida

DESTIN – Sandestin Golf and Beach Resort introduced YOLO Board Stand Up Paddleboards at Baytowne Marina.

This announcement comes as a result of an agreement with Sandestin and Santa Rosa Beach-based YOLO Board LLC., a leading hybrid-style stand-up paddle board company, to offer rentals, Paddle Fit classes and group events at the resort.

Paddle boarding, or ‘YOLOing’ as many people like to call it, offers a completely different way to experience the water, for a leisure paddle or enjoyable workout. Using a canoe-like paddle and standing atop a larger version of a traditional longboard surfboard, paddlers push themselves through the water with side to side strokes. YOLO Board’s newest board, the YOLO Yak – the first-of-its-kind hybrid stand-up paddleboard/kayak – will offer paddlers even more stability to cruise. Some people even compare the experience to “yoga on water.”

At Sandestin, YOLO Boards will be available for rent by the hour, half day or day at very affordable prices staring at $25. In addition, popular Paddle Fit classes will be offered beginning this summer. For additional information, contact 850/622-5760.

According to Jeff Archer and Tom Losee, co-founders of YOLO Board, in a press releases, “We’re confident that thousands of people will learn to love this new sport by having it available at Sandestin Golf and Beach Resort.”

YOLO Board will hold the 2009 YOLO Board Stand-Up Paddle Series this summer, with the third stop of the five part series being held at Sandestin Golf and Beach Resort on Friday, June 19.

For more information about Sandestin’s Baytowne Marina call 850/267-6168. For YOLO Board background, times and availability contact 850/622-5760.

Boy Scout Troop Fights Off Bobcat

A bobcat attacked two people in separate incidents in Citrus County Saturday, March 28.

Johnathon Knecht, 10, and Frank Womack, 71, both sustained scratches and bites from their encounters. Womack killed the bobcat in self defense.

According to Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission officers, Knecht was hiking in the Withlacoochee State Forest with his Boy Scout group when the bobcat jumped onto his back, scratching and biting. The other Boy Scouts came to Knecht’s assistance, and the animal ran back into the woods. Knecht was taken to Citrus Memorial Hospital in Inverness where he was treated and released.

The bobcat then moved on to Womack’s property. The animal bit Womack on the leg, and the man was able to put the cat down. Womack was treated and released at a local hospital. The bobcat was removed by county animal control officials who will test the bobcat for rabies.

Rabies always is present in wildlife populations and any warm-blooded animal can catch the disease if exposed to it.

Wild animal attacks are infrequent. However, most of the time when they do occur, the animal is sick.

Sham Wow Guy, Smoking Gun

The Smoking Gun reports that Vince Shlomi, better known to you as the ShamWow Guy, the ubiquitous television pitchman who has been phenomenally successful peddling absorbent towels and food choppers, was arrested last month on a felony battery charge following a violent confrontation with a prostitute in his South Beach hotel room at The Setai.

Four Country Clubs for One Price

TAMPA – Join four clubs for one.

The Tampa Bay area golf and country clubs Hunter’s Green Country Club, Countryside Country Club, East Lake Woodlands Country Club, and Tampa Palms Country Club have a new joint membership scheme called Cross Bay. This membership opportunity by these ClubCorp clubs allows members full social, golf and tennis privileges at all four Tampa-area clubs.

Members will have access to 99 holes of championship golf designed by top course designers, including Tom Fazio, Arthur Hills, Gary Player and Von Hagge-Devlin.

Additional benefits include discounts of 50 percent on Tampa Palms room rates.

“We are excited at the opportunity to provide our members more bang for their buck at a time when many other golf clubs are offering smaller packages at higher costs,” said John Woodeshick, regional vice president, southeast region, in a PR Newswire press release.

For more information on the Cross Bay membership, please contact Duane Brown at 727-784-8576 or see www.clubcorp.com.

Mating Horseshoe Crabs Sought

TALLAHASSEE – Biologists seek public’s help for horseshoe crab research.

Biologists at the Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission’s Fish and Wildlife Research Institute need help from the public in identifying horseshoe crabs spawning on beaches throughout the state. Read more

Sturgeon Warning For Suwannee

TALLAHASSEE – The Gulf sturgeon are beginning their annual migration back into the Suwannee River during March and April. The Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission reminds boaters to slow down and be aware these fish are jumping as three people were hurt in collisions with jumping sturgeon during 2008.

“Just one person getting hurt is too many,” said Maj. Lee Beach, regional law enforcement commander for the FWC’s North Central Region, based in Lake City, in a press release. “We want people to be aware the sturgeon are returning, and the risk of injury to boaters does exist.”

In 2006, officials began working on a public awareness campaign to alert boaters to the risks of the high-jumping prehistoric fish. “We have posted signs at each boat ramp along the Suwannee, explaining the risk of impacts with these fish,” Beach said.

What’s the best course of action for avoiding a collision?

“We recommend boaters reduce their speed to reduce the risk of impact and to give people more time to react if they do encounter a jumping sturgeon,” Beach said. “The FWC also recommends that all boaters wear their life jackets.”

The Suwannee River appears to support the largest viable population of Gulf sturgeon. Biologists estimate the annual population at 6,500 to 7,500 fish, each averaging approximately 40 pounds. Adult fish spend eight to nine months each year in the river spawning and three to four of the coolest months in Gulf waters. Sturgeon tend to congregate in deeper and cooler waters with moderate currents and sand and rocky bottoms.

Biologists are unsure why sturgeon jump.

“Scientists are still attempting to figure that out,” said Dr. Jeffrey Wilcox, FWC biologist. “The latest theories include that the fish jump to communicate, or it may be a dominance display. No rules require all jumps to mean the same thing.

“I have seen these collisions referred to as ‘attacks.’ However, these fish are in no way ‘attacking’ when they jump. They are simply doing what they have been doing for millions of years … jumping. They aren’t targeting the boaters,” Wilcox said.

However, Gulf sturgeon can get quite big, exceeding 8 feet and 200 pounds. “They have five rows of rock-hard ‘scutes’ along their sides, back and belly. When sturgeon and boaters collide, the results can be devastating,” Wilcox said.

To report sturgeon collisions, call 888-404-FWCC (3922).

Off Road Attraction Debuts in Clermont

CLERMONT (Near Orlando) – Revolution, The Off-Road Experience is a new attraction company that brings local adventures to tourists. On 200 acres of wilderness, visitors can ride ATVs, dune buggies and a four-wheel drive SUV; receive water-skiing lessons from an international coach; and learn how to reel in the big catch at the local lake. (352) 400-1322. www.revolutionoffroad.com.

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