KEY WEST, FLA. (WSVN) - A Florida woman is believed to have died after a yacht caught fire in the Florida Keys, a blaze that also sent her husband and son to the hospital, authorities said.
The Monroe County Sheriff’s Office responded to the scene of the blaze at the Peary Hotel & Marina on Stock Island, located at 7001 Shrimp Road, early Wednesday morning.
Investigators said a 70-foot Viking yacht was destroyed as a result of the fire that ignited at around 12:10 a.m.
When fire rescue crews arrived at the scene, the boat was fully engulfed. It took them roughly three hours to extinguish the fire.
The 51-year-old woman who went missing is now presumed dead. She was later identified as Linda Vella of St. Petersburg.
According to deputies, two men identified as Vella’s husband and son, 58-year-old Michael Kenneth Robson and 21-year-old Anthony Joseph Vella, were also on board the vessel when the fire occurred. The two were airlifted to Ryder Trauma Center in Miami.
The family members, who are from St. Petersburg, were in the Keys for lobster mini-season.
There was another family of four on board, but they were able to escape uninjured.
MCSO’s Dive Team, as well as TowBoat U.S crews, are assisting in the search for Linda Vella. Dive teams are being cautious in their search since the vessel’s sinking has caused hazardous conditions.
The state Fire Marshal’s Office and Sheriff’s Office Major Crimes detectives are investigating the cause of the fire.
Copyright 2024 Sunbeam Television Corp. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed.