Page 4 May 25, 2011
The Newscaster/Nature Coast News
Woman injured by sturgeon on
Remembering the past
Suwannee River
From FWC
A woman was injured when a sturgeon crashed through her boat’s windshield and
showered her with glass.
Erica Stevens (DOB 03/21/84) of Safety Harbor received minor injuries, according
to Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission (FWC) investigators.
On April 27, Stevens and her husband, Scott Stevens, who was operating the boat,
were on the Suwannee River north of the U.S. 19 Bridge in Gilchrist County, traveling at
about 15 mph. At about 5 p.m., a 5-foot sturgeon jumped up in front of Stevens’ vessel and
crashed through the boat’s windshield, FWC officials said.
Erica Stevens was sitting behind the passenger windshield and was hit by flying
glass, sustaining cuts on her arms and legs. According to investigators, it’s not certain that
the sturgeon ever made contact with her during the incident.
Her husband took her to Shands Hospital in Gainesville. The sturgeon strike was reported
to FWC April 28, and an investigation began.
The sturgeon also struck the bimini-top support and the motor cowling before
coming to rest inside the vessel. The Stevens’ 1973, 15-foot Lightning boat sustained ap-
proximately $2,300 in damages. Scott Stevens told investigators he threw the sturgeon back
into the river but thought it was dead.
“This is the first sturgeon strike in 2011,” said Maj. Lee Beach, law enforcement
commander of the FWC’s North Central Region. “And that’s one too many.” Beach ex-
plained, “We certainly don’t want to scare anyone off the river. The Suwannee is beautiful,
and we want folks to come out and enjoy their trip. We just want to remind boaters that the
sturgeon are back in the Suwannee, and they are jumping during this time of year.”
In 2006, FWC officials began working on a public-awareness campaign, posting
signs along the river to explain the risk of impacts with jumping sturgeon. What’s the best
course of action for avoiding a collision? “We recommend boaters reduce their speed to re-
duce 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.”
Biologists are unsure why sturgeon jump.
Gulf sturgeon can get quite big, exceeding 8 feet and 200 pounds. State and fed-
eral laws protect sturgeon, just like bald eagles, panthers and sea turtles. The Gulf sturgeon
is listed as threatened, and their harvest is prohibited. To report sturgeon collisions, call
888-404-FWCC (3922).
email news to: news@thenewscaster.com
This year we are celebrating the 50th anniversary of the filming of Follow That Dream in
Coastal
1961, filmed mostly in Yankeetown and featuring Elvis Presley. This picture was of the arrival
Hair Port
of the wife of Governor Farris Bryant arriving at the Premier Showing of the movie at the
Marion Theater in Ocala. The art deco movie theater in the heart of uptown Ocala was built
at Plaza 40
in 1941 and seated approximately 800 people. After a 13 year shut down the theater was
Carting
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