A fatal boating accident on Florida’s Gulf Coast left three people dead and one critically injured after a 39-foot speedboat flipped Saturday afternoon in the Caloosahatchee River, as reported by the New York Post.
The incident occurred around 4 p.m. between Cape Coral and Fort Myers near the Cape Coral Yacht Club, according to the Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission (FWC).
The speedboat capsized with four individuals onboard. A multi-agency response — including the U.S. Coast Guard, Fort Myers Police Department, and FWC — launched a search shortly after the crash.
Catamaran Catastrophe Leaves 3 Dead in Florida https://t.co/w2fWWCnUa2 pic.twitter.com/GFT654bmxZ
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Officials recovered three victims from the water on Saturday. Two were pronounced dead at the scene, while a third was transported to a local hospital in critical condition.
On Sunday, the U.S. Coast Guard located and recovered the fourth victim’s body following an extended search effort. The victims have not yet been publicly identified.
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FWC public information officer Bradley Johnson told the Naples Daily News that the boat’s motors appeared to have separated from the vessel during the incident.
While investigators have not determined the official cause of the capsizing, Johnson said wind conditions may have played a role.
A witness who captured video of the aftermath said the boat was racing down the river immediately before flipping. “Yes, I just so happened to look out the window,” the witness told WSVN.
“I looked — those boats are racing — and then as soon as everybody looked, the boat was upside down.”
The witness reported observing the vessel from the opposite riverbank. “He was going real fast for that to happen,” the witness said, describing the boat as being “up in the air” for three to four seconds before crashing.
“I saw a crash, all the water was just all over the place. It was pretty wild.”
Additional video posted by other witnesses showed the overturned boat in the river, and first responders gathered near the Cape Coral Yacht Club after the crash.
The U.S. Coast Guard said the cause of the accident remains under investigation.
Johnson noted that several nearby boaters immediately responded to assist the victims. “I know there were good Samaritans immediately that saw it and rushed to help,” he told the Naples Daily News.
The Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission reported 76 fatal boating accidents in 2024, resulting in 81 deaths — the highest number of boating fatalities of any state.
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