Police have released dramatic CCTV footage showing the moment a boat crashed into a ferry in Florida killing at least one person and injuring dozens more in what officials called a ‘mass casualty’ accident.
One person has died and multiple people have been injured following the catastrophic collision on Sunday evening.
The boats collided in Clearwater, Florida, near the city’s Memorial Causeway Bridge on Sunday April 27, the last night of the 17-day Sugar Sand Festival, when people were traveling back and forth by ferry.
Local officials confirmed the ferry would have been carrying over 40 passengers and crew at the time it was struck. The boat involved quickly fled the scene after hitting the ferry, according to the Clearwater Police Department.
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Yesterday in a statement on X The Clearwater Police Department shared: “Along with @clearwaterfire, we’re working a boat crash off the Memorial Causeway bridge that has resulted in multiple injuries. 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.
“The crash involved the Clearwater Ferry, which had more than 40 people on board. All of the injuries are from the ferry. The boat that struck the ferry fled the scene. The @USCG and @MyFWC will be handling the crash investigation. The ferry came to rest on a sandbar just south of the Memorial Causeway bridge. All patients and passengers have been removed from the boat.”
Just a few hours later they added: “One person has died from injuries in tonight’s boat crash. @MyFWC will be handing the crash investigation.”
The latest update from Clearwater Police Department on he boat collision has included some dramatic footage.
The force shared: “This video was released by the Clearwater Police Department at a news conference this afternoon related to Sunday night’s boat crash that left one person dead and 10 injured on the Clearwater Ferry. The view is from a live web cam at Coachman Park that shows the park and the marina/waterfront area. @MyFWC is investigating the crash, along with the @USCG.”
At a Monday afternoon news conference officials said they located the driver of the private boat, which allegedly fled the scene, three hours after the collision on Sunday night.
The driver was found by a partnering law enforcement agency, Clearwater police said. The driver’s identity has not been released, reports MailOnline.
Distressing new audio has revealed the mayday call made by crew on the Clearwater Ferry moments after the boat crash. “Mayday, mayday, mayday, there’s been a boat collision! The Clearwater ferry, underneath the Clearwater Memorial Causeway. The Clearwater ferry is adrift,” the controller was heard shouting as the two vessels collided.
The US Coast Guard said that on-scene reports indicated that all 45 people on the ferry and all six people on the boat were accounted for.
All of those injured were aboard the ferry, according to Florida Fish & Wildlife Conservation Commission (FWC). The person who died has not been formally identified.
Clearwater Ferry said in a statement: “We are heartbroken for the person who lost their life, everyone who was hurt, and their families. We deeply appreciate the dedication of the first responders and others who rushed to help Sunday night. We are cooperating with the investigation. Safety is the top priority for PSTA and the Clearwater Ferry.”
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