I was at the inlet that day to observe the waves and saw the whole incident take place. It was the day after the hurricane had passed at sea skies were clear and sunnny but the waves were huge. A group of us on the jetty saw this sportfish coming towards the inlet and commented as we watched the waves break across the inlet, that he would have to be real careful coming back in. We watched as he came up over the back of a huge cresting wave and thought all was going to be fine as he looked like he was going to ride the wave in. But he instead went over the front, maybe just a bit too much power, and the wave which was now following him shoved the bow down on the front of the wave. Problem appeared that he was not coming straight into the inlet and he was approaching slightly from the south east. We surmised that he started to turn a bit to the starboard to line up with the inlet. At this point the boat violently hooked to the starboard and layed down that tower almost flat with the water. Assuming he was piloting from the flybridge the centrifugal force throwing him from his seat was probably overwhelming with one hand on the wheel and one on the throttles. We saw something fall out the port stern area and we immediately agreed that someone had fallen out. Within a few minutes a boat and lifeguards ventured out and they retrieved the person and performed CPR all the way in the inlet as thet passed us on the jetty. Marine patrol went out and intercepeted the boat and it appeared escorted them back to Palm Beach Inlet. Just watching that left a bad feeling in the pit of my stomach for the rest of the day.
I have always had the utmost respect for that inlet but more respect for the worst condition of all and that is a following sea. My 23 CC has a great flare on the front but the weakness in all of these boats are the low transoms where a following sea will sink it real quick.
Pictures on link below.
http://www.palmbeachpost.com/news/ma...in-896503.html