MIAMI (WSVN) – A sunny morning turned tragic after a boating accident in Biscayne Bay left a woman dead and sent a man to the hospital, authorities said.
According to Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission investigators, the victims were ejected from the boat, just north of Nixon Sandbar, at around 10:30 a.m. on Saturday.
“Miami-Dade Fire Rescue Units responded to a reported marine incident near Crandon Park involving a vessel that had lost control,” said MDFR Battalion Chief Gregory Logue.
“There’s a Marine Patrol officer on police headquarters saying that they have a female unaccounted for,” was heard over the Broadcastify police scanner.
Cellphone video captured the boat spinning in circles after, authorities said, the victims were somehow thrown into the water and then run over by the vessel.
The sight left bystanders in shock.
“A guy in a Jet Ski found both people floating,” a man is heard saying in the video. “I’ve got this boat going around in circles. It seems like it chopped off the guy’s leg.”
The male victim, who was operating the vessel was severely injured, and the woman, who was a passenger, did not survive, investigators said.
Cameras showed the woman’s body being pulled from the water at Crandon Marina, then loaded onto a stretcher and wheeled away.
The Coast Guard said that “a Station Miami Beach crew rescued one male with a leg injury and transferred him to No Name Harbor and was airlifted to Ryder Trauma Center.”
“They’re calling in regards to a possible incident there, in regards to a gentleman with a possible foot amputated there.” was heard over the Broadcastify police scanner.
Investigators identified the surviving victim as 54-year-old Neil Schwab of Coconut Grove and his passenger as 33-year-old Claudia Balmaseda Orellanes of Coral Gables.
“I feel bad for the guy and the girl on that boat. He got messed up pretty good,” said the man heard in the cellphone video.
7News cameras later captured a similar looking boat being towed out of the marina.
The incident comes after a previous boating accident that took place South Florida waters last week.
Back on Wednesday, 55-year-old David Veglia was killed after he and his son were struck by a hit-and-run boater while out in Biscayne Bay, authorities said.
Local boater Carlos Pena said that in all of his years of boating, he’s never seen anything quite like this.
“It can’t happen anymore. It keeps happening,” he said. “It gives me the chills. I could never imagine that it could happen here.”
As more boaters hit the water in South Florida for the weekend, MDFR officials urge caution.
“Wear a personal flotation device, file a float plan so someone knows your itinerary, and have your [very high frequency] radio on Channel 16 for emergencies,” said Logue.
How the accident happened remains unclear, and it’s also unknown whether any other boats were involved, as the FWC continues to investigate.
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Source: wsvn
