Maritime
Tragedy in Biscayne Bay: Two Children Killed in Miami Beach Sailing Camp Collision
A boat crash in Biscayne Bay on July 28, 2025, resulted in profound tragedy: two children lost their lives, and others suffered critical injuries. The collision occurred near Miami Beach between a sailboat that was part of a youth sailing camp and a commercial barge. This horrible event has caused unimaginable grief for the families…
Read MoreFather and Son Killed in Tragic Personal Watercraft Crash in Marathon in The Florida Keys
Officials reported that a fatal personal watercraft accident claimed the lives of a 47-year-old man and his 9-year-old son this week in Marathon in the Florida Keys. The crash took place at 7 p.m. on Tuesday, August 13, when the small watercraft collided with a seawall in a Boot Key Harbor canal. Reports indicate that…
Read MoreURGENT UPDATE: Dept. of Homeland Security Involved in Royal Caribbean’s Symphony of the Sea Investigation
The Dept. of Homeland Security is now contacting the families of the child victims and making them aware that their children were filmed and photographed on the Royal Caribbean (RCCL) Symphony of the Seas cruise ship. Hickey Law Firm is speaking with multiple parents of children who were on board the ship. If you were…
Read MoreWho Is Liable for a Florida Boating Accident?
Florida means boating all year round. Boats get into and cause accidents just like cars and trucks. The injuries we see in boating accidents can be similar to or somewhat the same as the injuries we see in car and truck accidents. When a boat collides with another boat or collides with a fixed object,…
Read MoreMaritime Crash Leaves Two Dead Near Lover’s Key
A man and woman were killed after being struck by a boat while riding a jet ski on Friday. WinkNews.com reports that the payer was jet-skiing near Lover’s Key at about 12 p.m. Friday when a jet ski reportedly collided with a boat. The report says that a witness saw both the jet ski and the…
Read MoreMore Details On 12-Year-Old Killed in Maritime Crash
A maritime collision in Brevard County left a 12-year-old boy dead on Friday. Now, more details relating to the incident are available. FloridaToday.com reports that the crash occurred at about 10:30 a.m. Indian River Lagoon near Suntreeat a riverfront near a residential area. Child killed in Indian River crash between personal watercraft and boat near…
Read MoreMan On Trial for Killing 12-Year-Old In Maritime Incident Granted Request to Return to Scene
A man who is facing prison time as a result of a maritime collision that resulted in the death of a 12-year-old girl is asking the judge in the case to allow him to return to the scene of the crash. Fox13News.com reports that the accused, Andrew Miltner, is currently in detention on charges relating…
Read MoreFlorida Has Become Nation’s Epicenter of Maritime Crashes
According to a new report, Florida is one of the most dangerous places in the country to be a boater. MiamiHerald.com reports that the state has seen a dramatic increase in maritime crashes and deaths over the past year. The epicenter of the injuries and deaths is in South Florida and the Florida Keys, the…
Read MoreMiami Entrepreneur Dead After Crash Involving Boat and Personal Watercraft
A Miami entrepreneur died in a boating collision near Miami Beach on Sunday. MSN.com reports that on Sunday 42-year-old Aaron Hirschhorn went for an excursion on his hoverboard. His wife became concerned after he did not return her communications and posted an urgent message on Instagram asking the couple’s friends in Miami Beach to contact…
Read MoreProposed Law Named for Boy Who Died in Boating Accident Could Help Make the Waters Safer
In November 2020 we blogged about a tragedy in which a 10-year-old boy was killed during a boating accident in Sarasota. At the time it was not entirely clear how Ethan Issacs died. But as details of his death have come to light as his parents are also pushing for legislation that would help prevent a…
Read MoreNews: 2 people rescued from Biscayne Bay after boat capsizes
BISCAYNE BAY, FL – Emergency crews responded to Biscayne Bay Thursday morning after a boat accident that sent two people into the water. WPLG reports the two were on a 17-foot boat that was reported capsized at about 4:30 a.m. According to the Coast Guard, the two people were found floating in the water by a…
Read MoreTour Boat Injuries
Tour boats are popular in and around Miami. From dolphin tours, tours to view the sunrise and sunset, and those designed for families with children, boat tours offer a unique way to see and experience the beauty surrounding our city. However, while designed for recreation and largely considered safe, it is possible to sustain an…
Read MoreTwo Rescued After Boats Collide and Capsize in Tampa
Two boats collided in Tampa Monday, leaving two people in need of rescuing. WFLA.com reports that a 24-foot boat and a 19-foot boat ran into each other near Gandy Bridge, overturning both of the vessels. News footage showed multiple marine police boats in the area of the crash, with the capsized boats in the background.…
Read MoreRunaway Boat Crashes into Residential Docks in Palm Beach County Neighborhood
A runaway boat caused significant consternation in a Palm Beach Gardens community on Sunday after it crashed into multiple residential docks. WPBF.com reports that the boat was caught on surveillance camera crashing into the docks including the private dock of Vincent and Cynthia Pellerito. Apparently, someone had been piloting the boat and then lost control of…
Read MoreCruise Injury Statute of Limitation Fast Approaching
When the coronavirus pandemic brought the world to a halt in March and April 2020 the cruise industry was not spared. Most major cruise ships were grounded in the wake of the virus’ spread and have remained so ever since. But despite the global shutdown, the statute of limitation for filing cruise injury claims continues…
Read MoreFoundation Named for FIU Student Brings Awareness to Boating Safety
A foundation named after a Florida International University student who was killed in a boating crash is now working to raise awareness relating to boating safety. CBS Miami reports that 20-year-old Monica Burguera died in a 2006 boating crash when she and her friends rented a boat to go to the South Florida regatta. On…
Read MoreCoast Guard Calls Off Search for Missing Boater
A 19-year-old boater went missing from his vessel in the Jacksonville area Thursday. After investing hundreds of man-hours looking for him, the U.S. Coast Guard has suspended the search. ActionNewsJax.com reports that the victim, Michael Vaughn III, had been sailing alone in a 30-foot commercial fishing vessel when locals noticed the vessel running in circles…
Read MoreTeen Man Missing from Fishing Vessel in Jacksonville Area
The U.S. Coast Guard is searching for a teenage man who fell from a commercial fishing vessel Thursday morning. FirstCoastNews.com reports that the man fell from a 30-foot crabbing boat in the vicinity of Buckman Bridge in Jacksonville. At about 8 a.m. Thursday an off-duty police officer notified the Coast Guard of an unmanned fishing…
Read MoreHickey Law Firm, P.A. Files Suit on Behalf of Victim of Another Billionaire Boater Accident
Yet again in the waters of Florida a billionaire takes out a large, powerful boat and runs into something and injures someone seriously. This time it was Irwin Elliot Tauber, one of Florida’s top developers and owner of shopping centers. Today, well known maritime trial attorneys John H. (Jack) Hickey and Sarah Lobel of Hickey…
Read MorePolice Arrest Boat Captain Who Caused Fatal September Maritime Crash
Police have arrested a man who was involved in a boating incident that left one person dead. WSVN.com reports that Miami police arrested Dean Michael Sealy and charged him with various criminal charges including vessel homicide, manslaughter, and leaving the scene of an accident. Police say that Sealy was operating a boat on September 17 when…
Read More27-Year-Old Man Killed in Haulover Inlet Boat Crash
A boat crash on Thursday resulted in a man being ejected from the vessel and going missing. Now, authorities have found the body of the missing victim, and have arrested the driver of the boat that crashed. NBCMiami.com reports that authorities took 53-year-old Dean Sealey into custody at approximately 3:00 a.m. Friday morning in the area…
Read MoreSerious Boat Crash Leaves Two Passengers With Serious Life-Altering Injuries
Alcohol and boating do not mix. Especially when the vessel’s captain is drinking, the mixture of alcohol and boating can result in serious hazard for the vessel’s occupants. This tragic fact was proved yet again during a boating outing in late 2019 when a boat captain crashed into a jetty, seriously injuring his passengers. The victims…
Read MoreCrusise Ship Doctor Dies of Coronavirus
The head doctor of the cruise ship Costa Fascinosa died of coronavirus after receiving treatment for the virus in Santos, Brazil. Maritime-executive.com reports that the deceased doctor was 70-year-old Paolo Mudanò of Genoa, Italy. Mudanò and other Fascinosa crew members have been quarantined off the coast of Santos, Brazil since March 19, as local authorities…
Read MoreNightmare aboard Norwegian Cruise Ship as Man Allegedly Severely Assaults Woman
The FBI has arrested a man on suspicion that he severely assaulted a woman while sailing aboard a cruise ship. Arrest of Jeff Smiley III: Special Agent in Charge Douglas A. Leff, of the FBI San Juan Field Office, announced the arrest of Jeff Smiley III for assault of a female passenger on a cruise…
Read MoreLegal Advice for Victims of Sexual Assault on a Cruise Ship
Cruise ship vacations often give passengers a false sense of security. There’s no police presence on board, but crewmembers in security uniforms give the impression of safety. While there are typically hundreds of passengers, certain areas of the vessel have less traffic. Dark corners and empty corridors combined with the over-serving of alcohol make for…
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