The Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission is conducting the search for a child who remains missing as of Tuesday after a boating accident in North Florida that killed three people, officials say. The incident happened 8 p.m. Friday when an 18-foot vessel carrying eight people flipped. Three bodies, including…
Articles Posted in Boating Accident
Teenagers Who Went Missing on Paddle Board Were Found This Week by Good Samaritans.
Two 16-year-olds who went missing Monday afternoon from the Cedar Key Fishing Pier north of Tampa were found on an oyster reef Tuesday morning. The girls were found 14 miles from the pier where they launched their board. Officials say it was a combination of strong winds and waves that…
Boat Captain Found Guilty of Passenger’s Propeller Death in 2020
A Marion County diving boat captain was found guilty this week of seaman’s manslaughter in the death of a diver who tragically drowned during a propeller malfunction in March 2020. A federal jury found Dustin Sean McCabe, 49, of Ocala, Florida, guilty this week on the seaman’s manslaughter charges as…
Boater accused in 2022 Crash that Killed High Schooler Ordered Not to Contact Victim’s Family
A circuit court judge ordered George Pino, the 54-year-old Doral real estate broker facing vessel homicide charges related to the 2022 boat crash that killed an Our Lady of Lourdes Academy student, to no longer contact the teen’s parents during trial. Circuit Court Judge Marisa Tinkler Mendez granted the order…
Couple, Pet, Rescued from Choppy Florida Waters. Here’s What You Should Know to Stay Safe.
Two boaters and their dog were left clinging to the hull of their sinking boat in the St. Augustine Inlet after rough waters caused the vessel to flip, according to authorities. “They had life jackets onboard, but the boat flipped so fast they couldn’t get to them in time,” officials…
Parents of Florida Teen Killed in 2022 Boat Crash Urge Lawmakers to Make Changes.
More than two years ago, a Miami-Dade County family suffered the unimaginable loss of their daughter in a boat crash, now the parents of Luciana Fernandez are fighting for legislative change. It was Labor Day 2022 when then 17-year-old Luciana and over a dozen others were on a boat that…
FWC Launches Vessel Turn-In Program in the Florida Keys. What to Know.
The Monroe County Board of County Commissioners recently released an advisory to remind Florida Keys boat owners that the Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission is once again accepting applications for its Vessel Turn-In Program (VTIP) to prevent possible. The VTIP is entirely voluntary and was established in late 2022…
Four People Rescued from Sinking Boat off Florida Keys. What to Know.
At least four people were rescued from a sinking boat off the coast of Marathon, Florida, Sunday. Th incident happened about 11 miles off the coast around 5 p.m. when a distress signal reached the U.S. Coast Guard. A crew was sent out to find the 27-foot, sinking vessel and…
New Bill Proposes Stricter Penalties for ‘Boat and Run’ Crashes in Florida. What to Know.
Several bills, including one to impose stricter penalties on boaters involved in crashes, have been proposed in the Florida House and Senate ahead of the 2025 start to the legislative session in March; here’s what you should know. The bill referencing the penalties was proposed by Sen. Ileana Garcia, a…
Over a Dozen People Hospitalized Following Everglades Airboat Crash, FWC Investigating.
At least 16 people were taken to the hospital after two airboats in the Everglades carrying more than 30 people crashed Friday afternoon. The crash happened around 3:15 p.m. near Ochopee in Collier County, according to reporting from the Miami Herald. One airboat had 20 people on board while the…