One person is dead while others were injured after a boat crashed into the Clearwater Ferry in Florida over the weekend.
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According to the Seventh Coast Guard District, the accident happened near the Memorial Causeway Bridge in Clearwater, Florida, at approximately 8:40 p.m. on Sunday.
In a post on X (formerly Twitter), the Clearwater Police Department announced there were 45 people, including two crew members, aboard the ferry when it was struck by the boat. All of the injured individuals were from the ferry.
“It’s been declared a mass casualty incident by the fire department due to the number of injuries,” the Clearwater Police Department stated. “All local hospitals have been notified. Multiple trauma alerts have been called with helicopters transporting two of the more seriously injured.”
The Seventh Coast Guard District reported that one person was deceased while 12 others were transported to a nearby hospital. The Clearwater Police Department further revealed that the boat that struck the ferry fled the scene.
Following the accident, the ferry ended up resting on the sandbar just south of the bridge. First responders were able to remove “all patients and passengers.”
Ferry Passengers Recall Being Struck By the Boat
While speaking to Tampa’s WFTS, one of the ferry passengers talked about the incident.
As the passenger was enjoying the ride, things took a turn. “We were just enjoying the ride, and then all of a sudden we hear the first mate yelling, ‘Hey, hey, hey,'” the passenger said. “And then we looked back behind us, and this big yacht just came through the boat.”
The passenger stated he was with his two children and wife, who is 31 weeks pregnant, when the accident occurred.
The Coast Guard shared that there were six people on the boat. Law enforcement officials stated the boat was later found.
“The board that fled the scene has been identified by another law enforcement agency,” the Clearwater Police Department stated.
Officials added that the Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission is leading the investigation into the crash.