Man airlifted after Cow Key Channel incident 

A 36-year-old homeless Key West man was airlifted to Jackson South Medical Center in Miami Monday night after he was pulled from the waters of Cow Key Channel following a violent incident on a liveaboard catamaran.

There were no arrests as of Tuesday.

Byron Chad Abernathy has been released from the hospital and has indicated that he does no with to press charges or have the case further investigated.

Lower Keys Deputy Anthony Wales was called to the Hurricane Hole Marina on Stock Island at 10:35 p.m. where the U.S. Coast Guard and Key West Police brought Abernathy to shore. He had cuts to his head, arms and neck. Abernathy was taken to Lower Keys Medical Center and then airlifted to Miami.

The U.S. Coast Guard first received call of an injured male. They reportedly contacted Key West Police and Key West Police contacted the Sheriff’s Office when it was determined the incident occurred in the Sheriff’s Office jurisdiction.

The U.S. Coast Guard and Key West Police gave Deputy Wales a lift out to the 45-foot liveaboard catamaran where they incident took place. Deputy Wales found two men aboard — ages 49 and 27 — as well as a 47-year-old female.

The three gave similar accounts as to what transpired: The 27-year-old man left the boat to get something for the group to drink and returned with Abernathy, unknown to the others. Abernathy was already drunk and began using vulgar language toward the female as to what he intended to do to her sexually. The three then decided Abernathy needed to leave. Abernathy refused and began making threatening statements to all on board. One of the men pushed Abernathy off the boat as he refused to leave. The female hit Abernathy multiple times with a fiberglass oar as he repeatedly kept trying to get back on the boat. The other two men stated Abernathy was large and they feared him getting back on the boat given his size and the threatening statements he was making.

Deputy Wales spoke to another liveaboard witness on a different boat who stated Abernathy eventually left and grabbed or partially pulled himself up on a nearby floating dock whereupon he began screaming for help. The U.S. Coast Guard then arrived and took him to shore.

Lower Keys Detectives have been assigned to the case.

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