HOLMES BEACH, FL – A Manatee County man is facing an attempted murder charge after authorities say he violently attacked his wife during a fishing trip more than 30 miles off Florida’s Gulf Coast last weekend.
According to the Manatee County Sheriff’s Office, Douglas Naeher, 60, was arrested Monday following a brutal ordeal that unfolded on the open water. The couple set out from their Holmes Beach home around 7 a.m. Sunday aboard Naeher’s 30-foot center console boat for what began as a routine fishing trip.
Court documents state that Naeher appeared agitated even before the pair reached their destination, remaining uncharacteristically withdrawn and irritable. By the time they anchored 33 miles off Bean Point, Naeher’s mood reportedly worsened after his fishing line snapped. Investigators say that when his temper flared, Naeher’s wife, who has not been identified, attempted to defuse the situation by slipping into the water with a pool noodle, intending to keep her distance.
The sheriff’s office alleges that while she floated beside the boat, gripping a rope tied to the vessel, Naeher untied the line and put the boat in gear, leaving her stranded in open water. According to her account, she feared for her life and only saw her husband return after he became aware of another boat nearby.
When she managed to climb back aboard, Naeher reportedly launched into a violent assault, repeatedly punching her in the head and stomping her while she drifted in and out of consciousness. Authorities say he then dragged her by her hair and forced her back into the water at the boat’s stern.
Once in the ocean again, Naeher allegedly attempted to strangle and drown his wife, threatening to kill her as she struggled to stay afloat. The woman managed to cling onto the boat’s rear ladder, enduring being dragged behind the moving vessel for a brief period.
Believing he might have escaped detection, Naeher stopped the boat, but the woman seized the opportunity to climb aboard once more. Officials say Naeher forced her overboard yet again, but she managed to secure herself using another rope dangling from the stern, preventing him from leaving her behind.
As the boat headed back toward the dock, the woman re-boarded a final time and, sensing another imminent attack, jumped off as soon as they reached land and sought help.
The sheriff’s office reported that the victim suffered a concussion along with numerous bruises and contusions during the ordeal. Emergency responders provided treatment upon her return to shore.
Naeher, who has been married to the woman for three years and in a relationship with her for six, was taken into custody and booked without bond on an attempted first-degree murder charge. The case remains under active investigation, with authorities urging anyone with additional information to come forward.