Latest news with #ClearwaterFire&RescueDepartment
International Business Times
28-04-2025
- International Business Times
At Least One Killed and Multiple Injured in 'Mass Casualty' Event in Florida after Boat Hits Ferry and Flees Near Clearwater Bridge
One person was killed and several others were injured on Sunday when a boat collided with a ferry near the Memorial Causeway Bridge and then fled the scene, officials said. The Clearwater Police Department announced on X that multiple people were injured. The Clearwater Fire & Rescue Department quickly declared the crash as "a mass casualty incident" due of the high number of injuries, as rescue workers were seen working through the night to pull people ashore. The Clearwater Ferry was carrying festival attendees to and from the closing night of the 17-day Sugar Sand Festival when it was hit by a private boat with six people on board. Tragedy Could Have Been Bigger Everyone who was injured had been on the ferry, which was carrying 43 passengers and two crew members. The boat fled the scene immediately after hitting the ferry, while the ferry was forced to stop on a sandbar near the Memorial Causeway Bridge. Dramatic photos reveal the extent of the damage to the small ferry, showing sections of the roof completely torn off and plastic chairs crushed from the force of the crash. Other photos show passengers being taken to safety onshore, with brave first responders standing on the sandbar as they evaluated the situation. In total, six passengers were classified as "trauma patients" and transported to various hospitals across the state. Two of them had to be airlifted by medical helicopters that arrived to help at the scene. The rest of the passengers were treated by crews from 10 ambulances and emergency vehicles that responded to the initial call, racing to the scene with sirens wailing and lights flashing as information about the disaster slowly emerged. Night of Chaos Late Sunday night, the Clearwater Police Department released a statement advising drivers to steer clear of Memorial Causeway as emergency teams transported patients to different hospitals. "We're working a boat crash off the Memorial Causeway bridge that has resulted in multiple injuries," police said in the statement. "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". Police also revealed that the boat that hit the ferry and fled the scene was later located with six people on board, none of whom were injured in the incident. "We believe that the boat responsible for hitting the ferry left the scene immediately, and we believe that our law enforcement partners may have that boat," Clearwater Police spokesperson Rob Shaw said. Police said that by around 10:30 p.m., emergency crews had evacuated all passengers and patients from the ferry and confirmed that everyone was accounted for. The investigation into the crash will be led by the U.S. Coast Guard and the Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission.
Associated Press
28-04-2025
- Associated Press
1 dead as Florida authorities declare a ‘mass casualty' in boat crash near Clearwater bridge
CLEARWATER, Fla. (AP) — One person has died and at least a dozen people were injured Sunday when a boat crashed into a ferry off the Memorial Causeway Bridge and then fled the scene, authorities said. The Clearwater Police Department posted on X that there were multiple injuries and the crash had been declared 'a mass casualty incident' by the Clearwater Fire & Rescue Department due to the number of injuries. All of those injured were aboard the ferry. Police did not provide any information about the person who died. The ferry came to rest on a sandbar just south of the Memorial Causeway bridge and all patients and passengers have been removed. The U.S. Coast Guard said in a social media post that on-scene reports indicate that all 45 people on the ferry and all six people on the boat were accounted for. In an update on Monday morning, the Coast Guard said 12 people were taken to a local hospital. Sunday was the last day of the Sugar Sand Festival, a 17-day sand sculpting festival in Clearwater Beach. Police did not immediately provide any information about the boat that fled the scene. 'All local hospitals have been notified. Multiple trauma alerts have been called with helicopters transporting two of the more seriously injured,' the post said. Videos on social media showed several first responders rushing to the scene with lights flashing. Police cautioned drivers to avoid Memorial Causeway.
Yahoo
28-04-2025
- Yahoo
At least 1 killed, several injured after boat hits ferry, flees on Florida's west coast
At least one person was killed and several were injured after a boat hit a ferry in what Clearwater Fire & Rescue Department described as a "mass casualty incident." Helicopters transported the two of the more seriously injured to area hospitals and drivers were advised to avoid the Memorial Causeway bridge. More than 40 people were on the Clearwater Ferry when a boat hit the ferry and then fled the scene, according to Clearwater Police Department. All of those injured were on the ferry, according to police. Here's what we know. The crash happened Sunday night, April 27, about 8:30 p.m. and involved the Clearwater Ferry and a recreational vessel, according to the U.S. Coast Guard. A boat carrying six people hit the ferry near the Clearwater Memorial Causeway and fled the scene, according to the Clearwater Police Department and U.S. Coast Guard. The ferry was able to stop on a sandbar south of the bridge. Authorities reportedly have identified the boat that fled the scene of the crash. Shortly before midnight, Clearwater Police said one person had died from injuries sustained in the crash. Multiple people were reported injured, all from the ferry, which was carrying more than 40 people. By 11 p.m., all patients and passengers had been removed from the ferry. "It is not believed that there is anyone reported missing from the ferry," Clearwater Fire & Rescue Department said. "Six patients were declared as trauma alerts, with two of those being transported by helicopter," according to Clearwater Fire & Rescue Department on Facebook. It was not immediately known how many were injured in the incident, but police said multiple trauma alerts were called, and all local hospitals had been notified. Clearwater Fire & Rescue Department declared it a mass casualty incident "because of the number and severity of injuries." Clearwater is located about 20 miles west of Tampa on Florida's west coast. It's about 90 miles southwest of Orlando and 45 miles north-northwest of Sarasota. The Coast Coast and Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission will be investigating the accident, according to Clearwater Police. The accident happened at the end of the 17-day Sugar Sand Festival and many people were taking the ferry back and forth for the festival, according to Reuters, citing other media reports. Contributing: Thao Nguyen, USA TODAY; Reuters This story was updated to add new information. This article originally appeared on Sarasota Herald-Tribune: Boat crash in Clearwater, Florida involves ferry death. What to know
New York Post
28-04-2025
- New York Post
Florida authorities declare a ‘mass casualty' in boat crash near Clearwater bridge
Several people were injured Sunday when a boat crashed into a ferry off the Memorial Causeway Bridge and then fled the scene, authorities said. The Clearwater Police Department posted on X that there were multiple injuries and the crash had been declared 'a mass casualty incident' by the Clearwater Fire & Rescue Department due to the number of injuries. All of those injured were aboard the ferry, which was carrying more than 40 people. 3 The crash has been declared a mass casualty event. The ferry came to rest on a sandbar just south of the Memorial Causeway bridge and all patients and passengers have been removed. Police did not immediately provide any information about the boat that fled the scene. Authorities did not immediately provide the number of those who were hurt. 'All local hospitals have been notified. Multiple trauma alerts have been called with helicopters transporting two of the more seriously injured,' according to a Facebook post by Clearwater Fire & Rescue Department. Videos on social media showed several first responders rushing to the scene with lights flashing. 3 The boat crash 'with multiple serious injuries' happened just before 9 p.m., according to the Clearwater Fire & Rescue Department. Clearwater Fire & Rescue Department / Facebook 3 Emergency crews transported two patients to the hospital by helicopter. Police cautioned drivers to avoid Memorial Causeway. The US Coast Guard and Florida Fish & Wildlife Conservation Commission will investigate the crash.
