One Dead, Several Hurt After Boat Crashes Into Ferry in Florida

An accident that occurred on Sunday night in Clearwater, Florida, involving a boat and a ferry resulted in the death of one individual and the injury of many others, according to the authorities.

According to a statement released by the city of Clearwater, the Clearwater Ferry was carrying forty-five passengers when it was struck by a boat and then fled the scene. On a sandbar beneath the Memorial Causeway bridge, the boat came to a stop and remained there.

According to Rob Shaw, a spokeswoman for the Clearwater Police Department, “We believe that the boat responsible for hitting the ferry left the scene immediately, and we believe that our law enforcement partners may have that boat.”

According to the city, one person passed away as a result of injuries sustained in the collision.

Initially, it was not immediately obvious how many persons were injured; however, according to the authorities, all of the injured individuals were passengers.

All of them were taken off the vessel, according to the authorities.

An inquiry will be led by the Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission, according to the city, which stated that the boat that was attempting to depart has been identified.

According to the police department, two passengers who were critically injured were transported to hospitals via helicopter during the incident. According to a spokeswoman for Orlando Health, Bayfront Hospital received one patient who had a fracture of the femur and another patient who had injuries that were unknown.

The Clearwater Fire Department referred to the collision as a “mass casualty incident” because to the incredibly high number of people who sustained injuries. The six trauma warnings, according to Shaw, were issued.

Shaw has stated that the cops are still working to account for all of the individuals who were on the boat; nonetheless, he is of the opinion that all of the individuals have been rescued.

Additionally, the Pinellas County Sheriff’s Office is providing support to the Clearwater Police Department as they lead the investigation. According to X, the Coast Guard is currently present at the scene.

On Sunday, a spokeswoman for the Clearwater Ferry confirmed that the vessel was involved in an accident; however, they declined to release any additional details, citing the current investigation as the reason.