HOMESTEAD, FLA. (WSVN) - A boat carrying three individuals crashed several miles off Black Point Marina on Tuesday afternoon, prompting a response from officials and good Samaritans.
The incident occurred just after 2 p.m., approximately 2 1/2 miles northeast of the marina. Details regarding the cause of the crash remain unknown at this time.
According to photojournalist Ralph Rayburn, quick-thinking good Samaritans successfully rescued all three occupants from the water.
The victims’ identities and conditions have yet to be disclosed, and the total number of injuries remains uncertain.
7Skyforce provided aerial coverage of the scene as emergency response teams from various agencies, including the Marine Patrol, Miami-Dade Fire Rescue, and Miami-Dade Police Department, arrived.
Video footage from 7Skyforce also showed a rescue official administering CPR to one of the individuals, as well as a damaged vessel believed to be the one carrying the three individuals.
Air rescue rushed one person to the hospital who was seriously hurt. The other two victims on board were placed on stretchers and were also taken to the hospital but appeared to be OK.
A friend of a witness told 7News off camera that he was on the water, saw a splash, went towards the boat and saw it spinning. According to him, he helped the three people that were on board the boat and pulled one person out of the water.
Another witness, Kenneth Rodriguez, was on another boat that stopped to help the trio.
“As we’re coming back towards Black Point and the bay, we saw a boat spinning in circles, and usually that’s not a good sign,” said Kenneth Rodriguez.
Rodriguez was out on the water and immediately knew something was wrong. He said another boat was already there helping and he did what he could too.
“We gave them water, we just checked up, we just waited until the police came,” he said.
Investigators Tuesday night pulled the damaged boat out of the water as pieces of the vessel were scattered all over the water.
“They said that they lost control, lost power, lost steering,” Rodriguez said.
As investigators continue looking into what caused this incident, Kenneth said, he doesn’t know what happened either but wants to remind people to be as safe as possible on the water.
“I highly recommend everyone wear their lanyard for their kill switch and have all your safety equipment on board,” he said.
The Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission are investigating the crash.
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