Video released by police shows the moment a recreational boat crashed into the back of a ferry in Clearwater, Florida, killing one person and injuring 10 others.
The crash happened around 8:40 p.m. Sunday as a 40-foot commercial ferry returned from Clearwater Beach, authorities said. It was carrying 45 passengers and crew.
Police Chief Eric Gandy said at a Monday evening news conference that he believes the boat “overrode nearly three-quarters of the ferry.”
The Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission said “there was definitely a point where both those boats were fully entangled” and the ferry suffered a large amount of damage. The recreational boat was 37 feet and had about six people onboard, FWC said.
Before first responders arrived at the scene, they knew they were dealing with a “major situation” because 911 operators described hearing “horrific screaming in the background” as people called for help, Gandy said.
In a mayday call, a person could be heard reporting the collision.
“Mayday, mayday, mayday. There’s been a boat collision. The Clearwater Ferry underneath the Clearwater Memorial Causeway. The Clearwater Ferry is adrift,” the person said.
The man killed was identified by authorities as Jose Castro, 41, of Palm Harbor.
Injured victims were taken to hospitals in Clearwater, St. Petersburg, and Tampa, Gandy said.
“Our thoughts go out to the families of those that were onboard the ferry, particularly of the children and the family of the gentleman who died,” he said, adding that ferry crew members “likely saved lives.”
The boat that struck the ferry did not stay at the scene, but was later found by sheriff’s deputies about three miles south by the Belleair Causeway, the chief said. The driver, identified as 63-year-old Jeff Knight, and his passengers were still on the boat.
Authorities said Knight was cooperating with the investigation and voluntarily submitted to a breathalyzer test, which did not detect any alcohol.
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