Overview

• On July 21, Douglas Naeher allegedly beat his wife unconscious, dragged her into the Gulf of Mexico and tried to drown her during a fishing trip 33 miles off Anna Maria Island.
• The victim survived by feigning unconsciousness, clinging to a rope tied to the boat and climbing back aboard before fleeing to the Holmes Beach Police Department.
• Holmes Beach officers rushed her to a hospital where she was treated for a concussion, swollen eye and bruising across her face and body.
• Naeher was arrested the next day and now faces attempted first-degree murder and domestic battery charges; he remains in custody without bond.
• Coverage on August 1 has reframed the case as a warning about intimate partner violence and the challenges of investigating violent crimes in isolated maritime settings.