More of this Feature • Part 1: From Asphalt to Salt, Fishunlimited.org, and more • Part 2: Unlucky Strikes, Boat Show A-Go-Go, and more
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UNLUCKY STRIKES
As a pernicious hail storm pelted participants in a Florida fishing tournament, one unfortunate bass fisherman caught the worst bolt of all.

Lightning struck and seriously burned Jeff Justice, 39, while he was fishing with his partner 20 miles west of the Everglades in June. Nearby fishermen competing in the annual Gambler's Open helped transfer the men from their charred boat and called 911. But the storm was so violent rescuers were unable to reach the accident site and had to meet the boat halfway from the shoreline, according to The Miami Herald.

The strike came a day after a tourist was killed by lightning on a Fort Lauderdale beach. According to National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) statistics, Florida is the highest-ranked state for number of lightning flashes per year.

BOAT SHOW A-GO-GO
If you can judge the health of the boating industry by the number of annual boat shows, then it appears boaters are unfazed by the roller-coaster economy.

Show Management, producer of the Fort Lauderdale International Boat Show, has announced a new show for Destin, Florida, in 2002. Legendary's Mid-Bay Marine will play host to the Emerald Coast Boat Show from May 2 to 6, taking advantage of The Emerald Coast's more than 4 million visitors each year.

The show will include the construction of a floating dock marina visible from the Mid-Bay Bridge as well as a large exhibition tent housing accessories, electronics, engines, clothing, marine art, and more.

DIGGING DEEPER
The Panama Canal is about to get its first major facelift since the United States' lease on it ran out.

Panama, which took control of the passageway last year, has announced plans to deepen several sections as part of its long-term effort to boost the capacity for larger ships.

The massive project will focus on deepening part of Gatun Lake as well as the tightest portion of the canal known as the Gaillard Cut. Workers will dredge at least three more feet from the bottom in these areas, according to the Panama Canal Authority. Work is slated to begin next month and is estimated to take eight years to complete.

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