Florida Boating Season Off to Tragic Start

The start of the Florida boating season has been marked with tragedy. In addition to last weekend’s boating crash at Governors Cut off the coast of South Beach, which killed three and critically injured one, the state has seen numerous serious and fatal maritime incidents over the past several weeks. 

On April 8, New-Press.com reported that five people had been killed in boating accidents in Lee County since the beginning of the year. This sum already surpasses the total 2018 maritime death toll for Lee County. Three of the victims died when they fell overboard from vessels, another person was killed by boat propellers, while the fifth died in a single boat crash.

On April 23, the Miami Herald reported that two people had died in the Florida Keys over the previous two days. Both had fallen from boats into the water in separate incidents. 

On April 1,  ABC 7 WSSB reported that three people were injured and hospitalized after being involved in a boating crash on Sarasota Bay. That incident involved two vessels and left one person critically injured. 

The Hickey Law Firm, P.A., would like to encourage all Florida boaters to observe all relevant laws and safety best practices as Floridians welcome the spring and the beginning of boating season.