PANAMA CITY BEACH — Authorities are investigating a crash in St. Andrew Bay after a naval hovercraft ran over a kayaker, according to Florida Fish and Wildlife Commission (FWC) reports released Friday.
Matthew Goff, of Georgia, was taken to a local hospital April 14 at about 9:30 a.m. after an FWC officer spotted him paddling up to the St. Andrews State Park boat ramp with a significant amount of blood on his shirt. Officers learned Goff had just been run over by a U.S. Navy hovercraft traveling at about 40 mph in thick fog. Goff suffered minor injuries. However, no charges had been filed at the time of the report, FWC said.
Representatives with the Naval Surface Warfare Center Panama City Division confirmed the incident occurred between a Landing Craft Air Cushion (LCAC) hovercraft vehicle and a kayaker. Jacqui L. Barker, spokeswoman, said the incident remains under investigation.
Goff told officers he was fishing and had just landed a king mackerel when he heard what sounded like a big engine coming his way. The fog was so dense, however, Goff could not tell from which direction the sound was coming. He turned around to suddenly see a LCAC hovercraft coming straight at him, FWC reported.
Goff was thrown from his kayak but able to pull himself back on and paddled over to the hovercraft, officers said. The hovercraft’s crew asked Goff if he wanted to board their vessel so they could take him back to the Navy base and receive treatment for his head and leg injuries. Goff told the crew he had launched from the state park and that his friend would meet him at the boat ramp.
Goff was taken to a local hospital by his friend, and FWC officers went to Naval Support Activity Panama City to question the hovercraft’s crew.
Operators of the hovercraft, contractors who worked for a company called Engility Corp., said when they left the naval base for a routine test operation at about 8:30 a.m. that day they had about a mile of visibility. Robert James, operator, said as they headed farther into the pass they noticed the fog was only getting thicker and slowed to about 35 mph.
“James stated that at one point visibility was only between 50-100 yards, when all of the sudden the port lookout advised they were going to make contact on port side,” FWC reported. “James advised he quickly placed the engines in reverse, but it was too late and ended up making contact with the kayaker.”
The crew offered Goff a ride back, but he told them he would paddle back to the state park, FWC said.
Goff, who could not be reached for comment, was given a verbal warning by FWC for being in possession of a light but not using it at the time of the incident. The U.S. Coast Guard’s rule for traveling at safe speeds accounts for state of visibility and the “maneuverability of the vessel with special reference to stopping distance and turning ability in the prevailing conditions,” according to USCG policy. However, no charges have been filed against the hovercraft crew.