MIAMI.- The collision between two boats that occurred this Sunday morning in the waters of Miami-Dade County, left one fatality and one seriously injured, who were identified by the authorities this Monday.
Cristian Gaston Fernandez, 27, of Cutler Bay, did not survive his injuries. His body was recovered by divers from the City of Miami Fire Department, the Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission (FWC) reported Monday.
This Sunday, June 25, 2023, Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission officials were notified of an accident between a 32-foot vessel with two occupants and a 146-foot ferry with three occupants on board, in the Miami-Dade County.
Preliminary information indicates that the ferry staff were able to assist the other occupants of the smaller vessel. The man was identified as 29-year-old Angel Dominguez, a Hialeah resident, who was taken to Jackson Hospital’s Ryder Trauma Center with serious injuries. .
The FWC is investigating the cause of what authorities described as an accidental collision between a vessel approximately 30 feet long and the Fish Island Ferry, a ferry, which is taking residents to and from the island.
Authorities had said Sunday that ferry crews were able to pull a man from the water following an incident that occurred just east of the Pilot House Station on Dodge Island before 3:40 a.m., a spokesman for the fire department said. and City of Miami Rescue.
“When we arrived on scene, we found a patient that the Coast Guard had recovered from the water,” Lt. Pete Sanchez said. “He was transported to the Ryder Trauma Center in stable condition. On the way to the hospital, the patient began asking about his friend. Then, at that point, we were notified that there was actually a second occupant on the boat.”
According to a statement, the Miami dive team was immediately dispatched to conduct a search and rescue operation. Multiple agencies could be seen in the area, searching both by helicopter in the air and by boats and divers in the water.
“We found the other victim (underwater after a five-minute search,” Lt. Sanchez said. “Unfortunately, that victim died at the scene and the investigation will now be handled by the FWC.”
Authorities indicated they were friends.
“Very sad, very sad, but that channel is very dangerous and with those Fisher Island ferries there is always a problem with them,” said Ezequiel Espino, a resident of the area.
Members of the FWC and the US Coast Guard were on the scene for several hours on Sunday morning, diverting tour groups due to depart from a blocked off area of the Miami Beach marina.
After the accident, the Coast Guard sent an alert indicating that a temporary safety zone was being established, limiting the flow of maritime traffic, which affected the arrival and departure times of cruise ships in the port of Miami.
The sunken vessel was removed around 2:30 p.m. and Port Miami was reopened hours later after chaos was reported with hundreds of passengers waiting to board.
