A tragic incident unfolded after a boat collided with a ferry carrying numerous passengers, prompting authorities to declare a ‘mass casualty incident’.
The collision occurred around 8:30 pm local time on April 27, when a privately owned vessel struck a ferry near Florida’s Memorial Causeway.
“Along with @clearwaterfire, we’re working a boat crash off the Memorial Causeway bridge that has resulted in multiple injuries,” the Clearwater Police Department announced in a social media statement.
The statement continued, “It’s been declared a mass casualty incident by the fire department due to the number of injuries. All local hospitals have been notified. Multiple trauma alerts have been called with helicopters transporting two of the more seriously injured. Drivers should avoid Memorial Causeway.”
Unfortunately, one person has been confirmed dead following the accident. In the latest update, law enforcement stated: “One person has died from injuries in tonight’s boat crash. @MyFWC will be handling the crash investigation.”
Aside from the fatality, several individuals sustained injuries, with six receiving ‘trauma alerts’, indicating serious injuries requiring urgent care.
Two of the six severely injured individuals were airlifted to a hospital for treatment.
Reports indicate that all injured parties were aboard the ferry.
The Tampa Bay Times reported that four injured individuals were taken to Morton Plant Hospital, which is less than a mile from where the crash occurred.
Meanwhile, two female patients were transported to Orlando Health Bayfront Hospital in St. Petersburg, where there is a Level II trauma center.
Another patient was taken to St. Joseph’s Hospital in Tampa.
No arrests have been made, as the boat operator involved in the crash fled the scene. Authorities are requesting any information from the public to assist in the investigation.
Information officer Rob Shaw from the City of Clearwater, according to ABC Action News, expressed, “We believe the boat responsible for hitting the ferry left the scene immediately and we believe our law enforcement partners are at another location with that boat right now, but we are still asking anybody who has information anyone that witnessed anything anyone that may have any video to contact us.”
Tampa Bay Times later reported that the boat’s driver had been located. The publication noted, ‘a large police scene later developed around a center console boat just a few miles from the scene’.
The unidentified individual was reportedly found by a partnering law enforcement agency.