Florida boat crash kills one, injures another

On behalf of Terence Gross of Gross & Schuster, P.A. posted in Offshore & Boat Accidentson Thursday, December 8, 2011.

Two people were involved in a boat accident that occurred last week along the Intracoastal Waterway, killing one and severely injuring the other.

The occupants of the vessel, a 41-year-old man and 45-year-old woman, were traveling south in the waterway when they hit a seawall at about 1:20 a.m., according to the Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission.

As they were driving the boat, the pair entered a go-slow no-wake zone after passing a 25 mph zone before crashing into the western seawall due to unknown reasons. The force of the accident caused the woman to be ejected from the boat and into the water.

Following the first impact, the boat then hit an eastern seawall after the boat’s starboard bow sharply turned. It then began to travel in circles in the area around the Westin Diplomat Hotel, where medics began a rescue mission, according to the Palm Beach Post.

Once the boat was tied to the dock, they extracted the male passenger from underneath the vessel’s sitting area. A high-power saw and carbide blade had to be used to retrieve him due to the damage to the boat, according to the fire rescue division chief.

The man was pronounced dead at Memorial Regional Hospital. The woman was rescued from the water and also taken to the hospital, but her condition was unknown.

The accident was still under investigation to determine why it occurred, but the fire rescue division chief said it was likely caused by speeding. Toxicology reports are also pending.

Source: Palm Beach Post, “Man dead, woman hospitalized following boat crash on Intercoastal Waterway in Hollywood,” Juan Ortega, Nov. 28, 2011