http://www.miami.com/mld/miamiherald/14443896.htm

Competing tow-boat captains slug it out over sinking ship
By Miami Herald staff

Two salvage boat captains competing for the right to save a sinking
boat got into a fistfight in the middle of the ocean off Dania Beach
this morning, according to Miami Herald news partner WFOR-CBS4.

One of the captains was taken into custody, and may face an assault
charge.

The high seas fight started after the captain of the pleasure boat
Fortuna made a distress call, saying the boat was taking on water about
four miles south of the Pompano Beach Pier, CBS4 reported.

The Broward Sheriff's Office Marine Patrol spotted people aboard a
raft, and helped rescue them, but their boat continued to take on
water.

As the passengers were rescued, salvage boats from competing companies
arrived.

Witnesses say the captains from Sea Tow and TowBoat/US got into what
one called a ''brawl'' over salvage rights.

The U.S. Coast Guard, which was also at the rescue, confirmed that it
has detained one of the captains for questioning and will turn that
captain over to BSO as part of its investigation.

TowBoat/US apparently won the decision. The company took the boat into
tow and will take it to a Dania Beach marina for repairs.