‘You never want to see anything like that': Witness recalls aftermath of deadly Clearwater ferry crash

Yahoo

02-05-2025

CLEARWATER, Fla. (WFLA) — On Sunday night, a private vessel ran up and over the Clearwater ferry with 45 people on board. One person was killed and ten were injured.
The moments before and after the accident are now part of an intense investigation.
Kevin Cabrera is the Captain of Captain Memos Pirate Cruise and was one of the first vessels to render aid after the crash.
'We came up upon the ferry, people were screaming, we turned around,' said Cabrera.
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He said the professional boating community in the area is tight-knit, and he and others had to help.
'Even though we are all different, competing companies, we are all still one marina. We are people. These are lives at stake. These are our friends, we see each other every day. We are going to do what we would want done if we were in something similar,' said Cabrera.
The night of the accident, FWC found the other boat involved in the crash, approximately three and a half miles away from where the collision occurred.
Attorney J. Kevin Hayslett represents the operator of that boat, Jeff Knight. Hayslett maintains that Knight did not leave the scene of the accident.
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'Mr. Knight fully complied with his legal obligations under Florida Statute,' Hayslett said in a letter to an FWC investigator.
Hayslett said in the letter that Knight stayed at the scene and gave aid.
'Mr. Knight directed a passenger on his vessel to call 911, and that passenger remained on the line with the 911 operator for nearly twelve minutes. During this time, the caller relayed updates and emergency directions, such as telling Mr. Knight to instruct all the ferry passengers to immediately put on a life jacket. Mr. Knight tied his vessel to the ferry in order to stabilize it and render aid,' Hayslett said in his letter.
Captain John Timmel is not involved in this case. However, he spent seven years as a ship's officer and 32 years as a Tampa Bay Harbor Pilot. He's been an expert witness in dozens of cases involving maritime law.
Timmel said anyone involved in an accident on the water has obligations.
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'An operator of a vessel involved in a collision, or any other marine casualty, is required to stay on sight and render aid and assistance,' said Timmel.
He said there are some exceptions. If a boat operator believes their boat is in danger or someone on their boat needs medical attention, they can leave the scene.
Timmel said it's too early for anyone to make judgments in this case.
'It's so early in this case, and I've seen so many cases where something looks so obvious and apparent and then you find out there are other circumstances that make it not quite so obvious,' he said.
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