1 dead, 12 injured after recreational boat smashes into Clearwater Ferry in Florida
One person was killed and 12 people were injured when a boat struck the Clearwater Ferry in Clearwater, Florida, on Sunday evening.
The deceased victim was identified by police as Jose Castro, 41, of Palm Harbor, Florida, on Monday.
All of the injured individuals were people on the ferry, according to the Clearwater Police Department. BayCare Health System said it received a total of nine patients on Sunday night at three of their hospitals, and said Monday all but one have been treated and released.
There were 45 people aboard the 40-foot ferry, including two crew members, when it was struck from behind by a 37-foot privately owned boat, police said.
The ferry was operated by Dennis Kimerer, 64, while the recreational watercraft was operated by Jeff Knight, 62, police said on Monday.
The boat that struck the ferry fled the scene and traveled to Belleair Boat Ramp, the Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission said on Monday. Authorities said it was later found by a responding agency.
The incident took place near the Memorial Causeway Bridge in Clearwater. Coast Guard Sector St. Petersburg was notified at approximately 8:40 p.m., the Seventh Coast Guard District wrote on X. During a press conference on Monday, officials said there was "definitely a point where these boats were fully entangled."
After the crash, the ferry came to rest on a sand bar just south of the bridge. First responders and emergency personnel were then able to remove "all patients and passengers" from the ferry, police said.
"We were just enjoying the ride, and then all of a sudden we hear the first mate yelling, 'Hey, hey, hey,'" one passenger told Tampa ABC affiliate WFTS.
"And then we looked back behind us and this big yacht just came through the boat," said the passenger, who was riding the ferry with his two kids and his wife, who is 31 weeks pregnant.
The Coast Guard said there were six people on board the recreational boat, which left the scene.
The captain of the recreational boat was cooperative with authorities and submitted to a Breathalyzer test, but no alcohol was found, officials said on Monday.
No one has been taken in custody and authorities are working with the states attorney's office to determine if the incident should be categorized as a hit-and-run, officials said.
Officials said they will soon release the names of the victims, along with the name of the captain of the recreational boat.
"We'd like to offer our deepest condolences to the loves ones of the deceased," Coast Guard Cmdr. Fredrick Pugh, chief of response, Sector St. Petersburg, said in a statement on Monday. "Coast Guard investigative officers and FWC are working to determine the cause of the collision and verify the details leading up to the incident."
Clearwater Ferry said it is "heartbroken for the person who lost their life" and are cooperating with the investigation.
"We deeply appreciate the dedication of the first responders and others who rushed to help Sunday night," Clearwater Ferry said in a statement on Monday.
The Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission will be taking the lead on the crash investigation, police said.
