Boating Accident Victim in Downtown Jacksonville was Fishing, Still Critical

JACKSONVILLE, Fla. -- The man who was critically injured in a boating accident on the St. Johns River in downtown Jacksonville was fishing. According to the Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission (FWC), 66-year-old Jacksonville resident Rodney M. Abernethy was anchored east of the center span of the north side of the Fuller Warren Bridge at 5 p.m. Monday in a 17-foot boat. The FWC said the tide at that time was outgoing and very strong, and that the anchor line fouled the propeller. That in turn caused the stern of the boat to face the outgoing tide, which allowed water to pour in, sinking the boat. Abernethy was caught in the current.