At least one person has died following a Sunday morning crash with a 42-foot boat and a jet ski, officials say.
Officers with the Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission responded to calls of a crash at around 8:30 a.m. near the Broad Causeway in Bay Harbor Islands, according to reporting from The Miami Herald.
The man on the jet ski was pulled from the water by witnesses on a separate boat and was taken to shore. The man later died.
It is unclear whether the 42-foot boat involved in the crash stopped or if investigators are searching for the boater. As of Tuesday, additional details were unavailable, including what caused the crash. The investigation is ongoing.
This incident comes after three back-to-back crashes in the Florida Keys over the Fourth of July weekend. These separate incidents caused the death of one person and the injury of about eight others including a 12-year-old boy.
The most recent available data for 2023 released by the FWC, showed that the Florida Keys and Miami-Dade County were among the places with the highest rates of boating accidents. The majority of these incidents took place in July with 100 of the 659 total reportable accidents taking place in that month. The leading cause of boating accidents for 2023 involved collisions with a fixed object, the data showed.
Leesfield & Partners
The FWC data for 2023 also showed that Monroe County – where Leesfield & Partners has represented thousands of clients in its 48 years from its office on historic Whitehead Street – had the most accidents and injuries. In Monroe County, there were 87 accidents with three fatalities and 62 injuries.
In its history representing clients in Monroe County, Leesfield & Partners has handled devastating cases on the water involving low visibility, the negligence of watercraft rental companies and parents allowing children to drive boats.
A case involving a middle schooler driving recklessly resulted in a $1.7 million lawsuit for a deceased man’s family after the 13-year-old hit him with his parent’s boat while the man snorkeled. The 13-year-old tried to flee the scene of the crash but was seen by witnesses and was known for his heedlessness while driving the boat.
Another woman was killed after the driver of the boat she was on was speeding at night and crashed into a concrete dock. The woman was thrown into the water and later died at the hospital. An investigation into the night of the crash revealed that the driver had been drinking. Attorneys were able to secure a seven-figure settlement for the woman’s family.
In addition to numerous boating accidents, Leesfield & Partners has handled cases involving jet ski rentals targeted at tourists as a fun vacation activity. What most vacationers do not realize is how much strength it takes to operate these high-powered vessels safely, in choppy waters. Some cases handled by the firm have involved finger amputations like the one of a jet ski rental guide carelessly hitting a patron in the process of climbing back onto her rented jet ski, crushing the woman’s finger.
Another case was that of a man who was on a guided jet ski tour when guides from the company took the group near waters that were known to be dangerous for personal watercraft. The man was not able to control his rented jet ski and was not given proper training or instruction before they headed out on the water, resulting in him colliding with a concrete bridge column. The man had to be airlifted to the hospital with multiple serious injuries and required surgery.
Another man on a guided jet ski tour had a severe ankle fracture when his guides failed to cancel the tour when bad weather hit. The group, including the Leesfield & Partners client, struggled in rough and choppy water. The man’s rented jet ski eventually tipped over while his foot was caught in the foot well, shattering his ankle in multiple places and requiring multiple reconstructive surgeries.
“When exhaustion sets in, renters often lose their grip and fall overboard or face-first into the dash,” said Partner and Trial Lawyer Justin B. Shapiro in a recent article on jet ski rentals that was published in the Daily Business Review. “We have also seen countless cases in which ocean conditions, such as strong tidal currents, overtake a renter’s jet ski, resulting in violent collisions with other vessels, bridge columns, and docks.”
In over four decades of personal injury practice, jet ski rentals are the single most dangerous water activity producing serious injuries and fatalities.