Latest news with #FloridaFishAndWildlife
Daily Mail
2 days ago
- Daily Mail
Two children dead in Miami boat horror after barge collision hurled five kids overboard
Two children have died and a third is unresponsive after a sailboat hit a barge and capsized in Florida throwing five kids overboard. The frightening incident took place on Monday just before noon as rescuers pulled victims from Biscayne Bay after the sailboat started sinking into the water. The US Coastguard confirmed that two children had died in the collision after being taken to Ryder Trauma Center, a third child who was also taken to hospital is not responsive while a fourth was in stable condition after being transported to the hospital for abrasions. The Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission said that the vessel had been carrying six people, an adult female and five juveniles. An update said: 'All six individuals were recovered from the water and transported to a local hospital for treatment. 'Tragically, two of the victims have succumbed to their injuries. We extend our deepest sympathies to the families affected by this heartbreaking loss. Our thoughts remain with them during this profoundly difficult time.' Paramedics were seen performing chest compressions on at least one victim while several divers were spotted in the water off Hibiscus Island in Miami Beach. In an update to X around 12.30pm, the Miami Beach Police Department said all victims had been found and accounted for - but the majority of the children were injured. The children are between the ages of eight and 12, according to authorities. The sailboat was part of the Miami Youth Sailing Foundation, according to the Miami Yacht Club. In a statement, they said: 'At this time, details are still emerging, and we are actively gathering all available facts. 'Our priority is the safety and well-being of everyone involved, and we are working closely with the appropriate authorities and organizations to understand the situation fully. 'This is a developing situation, and we ask for understanding and patience as we verify information. 'Additional statements will be provided as soon as more confirmed details become available.'
Yahoo
2 days ago
- Yahoo
Jannus owner Jeff Knight charged with 8 felonies in Clearwater Ferry crash
Jannus owner Jeff Knight charged with 8 felonies in Clearwater Ferry crash The boat operator who struck the Clearwater Ferry, killing one man and injuring 10 others, has been charged with eight felony counts of leaving the scene of a boating accident involving death and/or serious bodily injury in connection with the crash. In a news release about 6 p.m. Monday, the Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission announced the charges against Jeff Knight, a prominent local businessperson and owner of St. Petersburg concert venue Jannus Live. Knight was arrested about 6:30 p.m. after returning from the Bahamas and landing at St. Pete–Clearwater International Airport, said Pinellas-Pasco State Attorney Bruce Bartlett. Bartlett said a warrant was issued for Knight's arrest about a month ago and that his office had been in touch with Knight's lawyers. 'We didn't have to go through an extradition process,' Bartlett said. 'To his credit, he cooperated.' Knight was booked at the Pinellas County Jail at 7 p.m., records show. Jail records said bail was set at $5,000 per felony count. Each felony charge can carry a sentence of up to 30 years in prison and includes a mandatory minimum of four years in prison if the accident results in death. Florida's Lucy's Law, passed this year, imposed stricter penalties for boaters who flee the scene of a crash without offering aid or reporting the crash. 'He's looking at a — potentially — a pretty good hit of prison time, because he's going to have a lot of injury points with serious bodily injury and with the death," Bartlett said. 'That scores in on all of it.' Knight has maintained his innocence in letters written by his lawyer, J. Kevin Hayslett, who did not respond to a phone call or text message from a Tampa Bay Times reporter Monday evening. Additional misdemeanor charges, including failure to maintain a safe speed and failure to maintain a proper lookout resulting in a fatal boating accident, will be filed with the state attorney's office, according to the news release. 'We're proud of the cooperative efforts between our agency, law enforcement partners and the State Attorney's Office to bring justice to those impacted by this tragic event,' the agency's Southwest Regional commander, Maj. Evan Laskowski, said in the release. Officers with the wildlife commission reviewed surveillance video and physical evidence and interviewed multiple witnesses during the investigation, according to the agency. The U.S. Coast Guard is conducting a concurrent investigation into the Clearwater Ferry's involvement in the crash, the release said. The crash occurred April 29 as day turned to dusk near the Clearwater Memorial Causeway bridge. The ferry had been carrying 46 people, including two crew members, from Clearwater Beach when the collision was first reported at 8:43 p.m. Time-stamped video recorded by a city web camera at Coachman Park shows the boat crashing into the back of the ferry at 8:40 p.m. It then pulled away from the ferry and remained in the area as the ferry appeared to drift. About 10 minutes later, it began to slowly motor away from the scene. After the crash, Knight consented to a Breathlyzer test, which registered no alcohol in his system. Investigators did not draw blood to test for drugs at the time. Knight's lawyer has also suggested the ferry didn't have proper lighting and its crew were distracted by dolphins. Passengers on Knight's boat said they heard him shout, 'Where the f—k were their lights?' in the moments after the crash, according to one letter penned by his attorney. Those who spent their careers on the Intracoastal Waterway and rendered aid after the crash said they'd never had a difficult time seeing the ferry, which has plodded along the same route every week for the last decade. Multiple civil lawsuits have been filed against Knight by ferry passengers alleging he was 'careless and negligent' by operating at an excessive speed. Since the crash, Knight's boat has been impounded at the wildlife commission's office on Gandy Boulevard. Knight has had his share of trouble on the water, records show. In 2019, he was headed east toward the Dick Misener Bridge when he struck a pontoon boat, injuring three passengers. One woman suffered a broken leg and lacerations to her kidney, liver and lung. In 2012, a Jannus employee drowned near the Renaissance Vinoy Hotel while partying aboard Knight's docked vessel. The medical examiner's office discovered cocaine in the man's system. Knight has also been convicted three times on charges of driving while impaired, records show. He has been credited with saving a struggling Jannus Live after assuming partial ownership in 2009, in turn revitalizing the center of St. Petersburg's nightlife scene. Amid calls to boycott the downtown block, management has tried to distance the venue from Knight. 'Effective immediately, Jeff Knight is stepping down from his position at Jannus Live and will no longer have any affiliation with the venue,' the venue wrote in a social media post on April 30, which was signed by 'The Jannus Live family.' Records show at least two former employees have accused Knight of sexual harassment. A third person said he was fired after trying to stop Knight from assaulting one of the women. A bartender at Jannus Landing said Knight grabbed her by the hair and forced her to kiss him, a police report from June 2023 states. Four months later, another woman working as a security guard at Jannus Live alleged Knight groped her between the legs and licked her face. The family of Jose Castro, who was killed in the ferry crash, previously told the Times they hoped Knight would be charged. 'I want this guy to pay for what he did, for what we're going through right now,' said Castro's sister, Sandy Todd. Knight's DUI record and past incidents on the water aroused the family's suspicions. Castro's family did not respond immediately to a request for comment on Monday evening. 'This is a rich businessman that seems like he could do whatever he wants,' said Castro's brother-in-law, Kenny Rodriguez, in April. 'I'm just sick of it. How do you do this and just drive away? I'm very angry.' 'I want justice for Jose,' he said. Times staff writers Alexa Coultoff, Christopher Spata, Chris Tisch and Emily Wunderlich contributed to this report.
Daily Mail
2 days ago
- Daily Mail
Two dead in Miami boat horror after barge collision hurled five children overboard
Two people have died after a sailboat hit a barge and capsized off the shore of Florida throwing five children overboard. The frightening incident took place on Monday just before noon as rescuers pulled victims from Biscayne Bay after the sailboat started sinking into the water. The Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission said that the vessel had been carrying six people, an adult female and five juveniles. An update said: 'All six individuals were recovered from the water and transported to a local hospital for treatment. 'Tragically, two of the victims have succumbed to their injuries. We extend our deepest sympathies to the families affected by this heartbreaking loss. Our thoughts remain with them during this profoundly difficult time.' Paramedics were seen performing chest compressions on at least one victim while several divers were spotted in the water off Hibiscus Island in Miami Beach. In an update to X around 12.30pm, the Miami Beach Police Department said all victims had been found and accounted for - but the majority of the children were injured. A total of three children were taken to Jackson Memorial Hospital Trauma Center in critical condition and another was transported there in stable condition, police said.
Associated Press
2 days ago
- Associated Press
Five kids hospitalized after barge collided with sailing boat, authorities say
A barge appears to have struck a sailing boat carrying six people, including five children and a woman, who were pulled from the water by responders Monday off of Miami Beach, Florida, authorities said. The collision happened near Star Island in Biscayne Bay, and all the victims were transported to a local hospital for treatment, said Arielle Callender, a regional spokesperson for the Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission, in a statement. The agency is investigating the crash, and has not disclosed details about those injured. Local television stations showed first responders, some in scuba diving gear, in boats around what appears to be a barge.
CBS News
3 days ago
- General
- CBS News
Injured baby dolphin recovering after found on rock jetty at Haulover Beach, Miami-Dade Fire Rescue says
A baby dolphin is on the road to recovery after it was found hurt and had beached itself on the shores of Miami-Dade County late Saturday morning, officials said. Just before 11:55 a.m., Miami-Dade Fire Rescue Ocean Rescue lifeguards responded to reports of an injured baby dolphin that had beached itself on a rock jetty at Haulover Beach. Upon arrival, lifeguards found the dolphin and saw it was unable to swim or right itself, and appeared to have been struck by a vessel. MDFR said one of its lifeguards was able to safely remove the dolphin from the rocks. "Our lifeguard got a hold of the dolphin, removed it from the rocks, and the dolphin was then handed over to an officer from Florida Fish and Wildlife," said MDFR spokesperson Erika Benitez. At this time, the dolphin is currently under the care of the Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission, where MDFR said it hopes the dolphin will recover from its injuries and be released back into the wild.
