The boater in a Mass casualty” crash with a Florida ferry is blaming the other vessel’s captain for failing to have proper lighting — and for being “distracted by dolphins,” his lawyer told officials.
Jeffry Knight has not been criminally charged for the caught-on-camera crash, in which his private boat collided with a Clearwater ferry with 45 people onboard on Sunday night, killing one man and injuring 10 other passengers.
He blamed the water taxi, operated by Pinellas Suncoast Transit Authority, for not having “the required navigational lights” — and for its crew being distracted by searching out sea life, Knight’s lawyer, J. Kevin Hayslett, told the Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission in a letter Tuesday.
“Multiple witnesses have reported that the ferry appeared inadequately illuminated, and that in the moments before the collision, the captain and many passengers were distracted by dolphins in the area, diminishing navigational awareness,” Hayslett wrote.
“It appears that just prior to the accident, someone on the ferry was shining a spotlight in the channel, which would confirm reports that they were looking at dolphins,” the attorney added.
Knight denies fleeing the scene — saying he stayed as long as possible, but was finally forced to seek safety because his own boat was taking in “a large amount of water” and he feared for a baby on his craft.
“The frantic mother of an infant on board pleaded for immediate transport following the crash because she was concerned that her 8-week-old child may have suffered injuries,” Hayslett wrote.
“Given the circumstances … he prudently determined that returning to dock as quickly as possible was the best course of action,” the lawyer wrote.
Immediately after the crash, Knight directed a passenger on his boat to call 911 and was on line with the dispatcher for 12 minutes after the crash, the letter said.
Haysley added that footage of the crash and its aftermath shows Knight didn’t leave until Clearwater Police and other responders arrived.
“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,” Hayslett wrote.
“Mr. Knight tied his vessel to the ferry in order to stabilize it and render aid. He used his boat to maneuver the ferry closer to shore so that first responders would have easier access to the passengers.”
Knight offered to transport some of the injured passengers to the Morton Plant Hospital on his boat, but the offer was denied, his lawyer said.
The captain passed voluntary sobriety tests when he was briefly detained Sunday when officials finally caught up with him, and was found to have no trace of alcohol in his system.
The incident happened at the close of the Sugar Sand Festival, and the ferry was helping carry people back and forth from the festivities.
Emergency dispatchers answering 911 calls from the accident scene heard “horrific screaming” in the background, Clearwater Police Chief Eric Gandy has said.
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