Boat Hits Ferry in Florida, Leaving 1 Dead and Several Injured
A tragic accident unfolded late Sunday when a boat struck a ferry transporting 45 people near Clearwater, Florida, as festivities for a sand sculpting event were ending, Officials confirmed that one person died and at least 12 others were injured in the collision, which happened in calm waters and triggered an urgent rescue operation because of the high number of potential victims.
The U.S. Coast Guard announced on social media that initial reports confirmed that all 45 ferry passengers and six occupants of the other boat had been accounted for. In a Monday morning update, officials said that 12 individuals had been transported to a nearby hospital. Authorities have yet to release any details about the boat that fled the scene following the collision.
Clearwater Police Department stated on its official X account that one person had died and many other passengers were injured, describing it as a mass casualty event.
The crash involved the Clearwater Ferry, which had more than 40 people on board. All of the injuries are from the ferry. The boat that struck the ferry fled the scene.
Clearwater Police Department
According to the Associated Press, one of the crews of the ferry Brenda Alvarez said:
We can’t understand how fast they were going, like how that is even logically possible that they hit and were able to get off like that.
Brenda Alvarez