A tourist boat collided with a ferry carrying 45 passengers on the final day of a Florida sand sculpture festival, killing one person and injuring at least 10 others, officials said.
The incident, which occurred late Sunday in calm waters off the coast of Clearwater in western Florida, prompted an emergency response because of the expected high number of casualties.
Footage of the accident, released by law enforcement at a news conference on Monday, shows the pleasure boat colliding with the ferry.
“We were just enjoying the ride and all of a sudden we heard the mate yell, ‘Hey, hey, hey,’” Marco Vacheko, who was on the ferry with Brenda Alvarez and two young children, told WFTS. “We looked back and this big yacht just went by.”
The operator of the pleasure boat is cooperating with law enforcement and a breathalyzer test showed no signs of intoxication, officials said. The boat did not remain at the scene for long; it was found about 3.5 miles from the collision site. Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission officials are working with the prosecutor's office to see if any charges will be filed, officials said.
Clearwater Police Chief Eric Gandy said emergency dispatchers responding to 911 calls from the scene heard “horrible screams” in the background.
The injured passengers suffered fractures, soft tissue injuries and traumatic brain injuries, said Tony Tedesco, chief of emergency medical services for Clearwater Fire and Rescue.
All victims were adults on the ferry.
Sourse: breakingnews.ie
