Coast Guard stops unmanned boat

VIRGINIA BEACH, Va., Sept. 4 (UPI) -- U.S. Coast Guard officers said they were called to stop a boat from spinning in circles at Virginia Beach, Va., after its two occupants fell out of the craft.

Petty Officer Mark Jones said two men fell out of the boat about 9:20 p.m. Wednesday and were rescued by another boater, but their craft continued to run in circles, the Newport News (Va.) Daily Press reported Thursday.

Two U.S. Coast Guard crews from Station Little Creek showed up at the scene and first attempted to stop the boat's propeller with heaving lines, but that didn't work. The crews said they were forced to pull up alongside the out-of-control craft and used a boat hook to manipulate the throttle, bringing the vessel to a halt.

Petty Officer 1st Class Charles Poston said in a statement that boaters should us a "kill switch" that stops a boat's engine if the driver is thrown overboard.

"If they had used their kill switch," Poston said, "this situation could have been prevented."