A mass casualty incident has left one person dead and multiple others injured in Florida. A private boat crashed straight into a ferry, causing a devastating accident.
According to authorities, the driver of said private boat then fled the scene. The deadly incident happened on Sunday. Authorities have described it as a mass casualty event. Around 9 p.m., a boat crashed into a ferry with 45 passengers on board. The incident happened near the Memorial Causeway Bridge in Clearwater. There had been six people on board the private boat, which fled the scene.
"The fire department declared it a mass casualty incident because of the number and severity of injuries," Clearwater Police Department said. "Six patients were declared as trauma alerts, with two of those being transported by helicopter."
At this time, authorities haven't revealed the identity of the person who died. But they said that he "later died from his injuries." "The ferry came to rest on a sandbar just south of the Memorial Causeway Bridge. All patients and passengers have been removed," authorities continued.
Ferry Crash Called Mass Casualty Event
Authorities tracked down and found the private boat following the tragedy. Passengers described the private boat as speeding prior to the incident. Brenda Alvarez, a pregnant passenger on board the ferry, told ABC Action News that the boat crashed into the ferry after going at a high speed. She doesn't understand how they were able to flee.
"You never expect anything to happen. We can't understand how fast they were going, like how that was even logically possible that they hit and were able to get off like that," she said. "It shattered the whole back of the boat, left a huge dent."
Given the fact that she is pregnant, the passenger ended up at the hospital after the mass casualty event. Fortunately, it appears that she will be alright.
"It's very scary. I fell between two seats, and my whole body hurts right now. We just wanted to get to our cars and get home. You never expect anything to happen," she said.
Authorities are currently investigating the cause of the crash.
