Key West Injury Lawyer Blog
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 pushed the two out to sea. The two were reported missing by family and multiple agencies, who were out searching for them into the night. Several volunteer boaters were also out on the water looking for the girls.
Lt. Scott Tummond with the Levy County Sheriff’s Office told reporter with ABC news that the number of first responders they had out searching was “astounding.”
“Add to that triple or quadruple the number of volunteers that we had out there, that’s what made this happen,” he said.
As the two floated out to see during the night, they said a helicopter flew over them three times. Each time, they failed to get the pilot’s attention.
The girls were found the next morning by three Good Samaritans – Captain Will Pauling, Alex Jeffries and Russ Coon – who had joined the search. By then, they were cut up from the oyster shells and hypothermic, but in good spirits, the men told reporters. The girls were barefoot, so the men carried them to a nearby boat ramp. They were later transferred via ambulance to a local hospital for treatment.
“The ocean is a cruel mistress,” said Ernest K. Gann, the American aviator, author and screenwriter, in his 1957 book Fate Is the Hunter. Decades and numerous technological leaps later, and the message still rings true. The ocean can often be unpredictable with sudden weather events, winds, tides and marine life all having a hand in whether or not someone makes it home after a day on the water. Thankfully, these girls made it home safely, but Leesfield & Partners understands all too well how perilous the water can be, especially when negligent boaters are involved.
Leesfield & Partners
Leesfield & Partners is a personal injury law firm with nearly five decades of experience representing the victims of boat and jet ski crashes on the water. In that time, the firm has secured numerous record verdicts and settlements for clients from three Florida offices in Miami, Key West and Orlando. With over a million registered boaters in Florida, the state has been dubbed the “boating capital of the world,” however, with that title comes numerous tragic incidents.
In an annual report from the Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission, the agency recorded 659 boating accidents in 2023, the year with the latest available data. From the data, the agency concluded that the most common collision type was a crash with a fixed object. This accounted for 28% of crashes.
Florida’s tropical weather and sparkling blue waters mean that thousands of tourists and locals alike are out on the water at any given time. With this many individuals on the water jet skiing, snorkeling and boating means a greater need for boater’s education and water safety. This, however, is not always the case. The FWC reported in annual numbers that 83% of operators involved in fatal collisions on the water had no formal boater’s education. This inexperience combined with alcohol or drug use – accounting for 23% of 2023 boating fatalities – is a recipe for disaster.
Previous Cases
In a tragic case involving alcohol and negligent boating, Leesfield & Partners represented a family who lost their 20-year-old daughter in a boat crash. In that case, the young woman was on a boat in which the operator was speeding at night and crashed into a concrete dock, ejecting several passengers. Our client’s daughter, among the passengers who was ejected, tragically died from her injuries. Our attorneys determined via an investigation that not only was the boater speeding, but he had also been drinking that night.
The firm secured over $1.3 million in that case.
Recently, Leesfield & Partners obtained a settlement for the family of a lobster diver who was in the water when a negligent law enforcement officer failed to adhere to diver-down flags. The case was handled by Bernardo Pimentel II, a Trial Attorney at the firm.
Leesfield & Partners obtained a substantial recovery for a minor who lost a limb while on a boat due to the negligent supervision of the adults into whose care he was entrusted.
In a case involving a boat and a jet ski accident, the firm secured $935,00 for clients.
Leesfield & Partners represented injured clients in a boating case against a foreign resort and obtained $800,000 for the family.
When representing clients against a boating tour company, the firm secured $575,000 in a wrongful death case.
Previously, the firm secured a six-figure recovery for clients injured in a boating accident.
