MIAMI (WSVN) - In the early hours of Sunday morning, a night of celebration on the water turned into a devastating tragedy when a 32-foot boat collided with a Fisher Island ferry just off PortMiami.
The incident occurred shortly before 4 a.m.
Angel Dominguez, 29, was discovered in the water following the collision and was promptly rescued by passengers aboard the ferry. Dominguez was swiftly transported to Ryder Trauma Center with serious injuries but is currently in stable condition.
“En route to the hospital, the patient did mention to us, he began asking for his friend, so at that point, we were notified that there was actually a second occupant in the boat,” Miami Fire Rescue Lt. Pete Sanchez said.
Miami Fire Rescue Dive Team initiated a search and, unfortunately, discovered the lifeless body of Cristian Fernandez, 27.
The news came as a shock to Russell Ramirez, who spoke with 7News about the incident.
“We met on the party on the boat that we were on,” said Ramirez. “We had just met that night.”
Ramirez said they were celebrating a podcast on a yacht when Dominguez and Fernandez arrived and tethered their boat alongside theirs. The group took photos together to capture the joyful moments they were sharing.
“I thought it was, literally a mistake because I had literally just posted the pictures of me and Chris and Angel, that little crew that was with me and then I got a message in a group chat talking about somebody that was at the party, on the boat, passed away,” said Ramirez.
“They had pulled up to the party on Angel’s boat and we just started talking. We just started hanging out. Everybody was having a good time and that’s where the picture came from,” said Ramirez.
As they were preparing to leave the party, Fernandez asked about Ramirez’s plans after returning to the marina, but sadly, they never got the chance to reconnect.
“Chris had asked me what I was doing after when we get back, and I just told him, ‘Nothing’ and he told me, ‘Alright, well hit me up when you land and stuff’,'” said Ramirez.
The investigation into the incident was assumed by the Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission (FWC), leading to nearby boats being instructed to remain at marinas and inbound cruise ships being held at sea until the sunken boat could be retrieved from the water. By mid-afternoon on Sunday, operations at PortMiami had resumed, and the sunken boat was moved onto land as evidence.
The loss of life weighed heavily on the minds of everyone involved, with Ramirez fondly remembering Fernandez as a friendly individual he encountered during the night’s events.
“Chris was cool,” said Ramirez. “He was the first one I bumped into and we were just there talking and having fun and he was just telling me a short story about his life and what he’s got going on and stuff. We were just having fun, cracking jokes with everybody there. It was like a group of five of us.”
The other people that were on the ferry were uninjured in the crash.
Authorities continue investigating the circumstances surrounding the boat collision.
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