One Person Killed, Two Others Injured in Florida Boating Accident

By Orlando Personal Injury Attorney on June 3, 2014

A recent boating accident near Elliot Key has claimed the life of a woman and critically injured two men. Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission officials investigating the accident say that the fatally injured victim was a 37-year-old Colombian woman. FWC officials report that the accident occurred around 10:20 p.m. when the 23-foot boat piloted by one of the survivors collided with a 36-foot boat that was anchored. Investigators do not yet know how fast the boat was traveling when it collided with the anchored boat and have not said if they know why the boat operator was unable to avoid the collision.

The 45-year-old male piloting the boat and a 30-year-old male passenger were rushed to area hospitals to receive treatment for critical but undisclosed injuries. FWC officials have not yet announced whether or not they plan to file charges in connection with the accident. However, officials did say that their investigators have responded to 236 boating accidents so far this year, which have resulted in 11 fatalities. They report that 62 people lost their lives in Florida boating accidents in 2013, 38 of those fatalities were due to drowning. The FWC recommends that all boaters use the following boating safety tips to help prevent accidents:

• Boat operators should refrain from using any intoxicants while operating their watercraft.
• Operators should make sure that they have recommended safety equipment on board in case of emergency.
• Operators should plan ahead each time they go out on the water and pay close attention to their surroundings at all times, paying special attention to waves, weather, wildlife, waterway markers, docks and other watercraft. The FWC reports that inattentive boat operators are the leading cause of Florida boating accidents.
• Operators should always travel within posted speed limits and respect no-wake zones at all times.

Orlando boating accident attorney James O. Cunningham would like to remind readers that everyone can help reduce boating accidents in Florida by taking proper boating safety courses from the FWC or another approved state or federal agency. He would also like to mention that if a reader is injured in an accident caused by a negligent party and they would like to schedule a free consultation with an experienced Orlando personal injury lawyer, they can call his law offices anytime at 877-FL-INJURY (877-354-6587).

James O. Cunningham

Since 1977, personal injury lawyer James Cunningham has provided effective legal advocacy to people who are injured through the negligent actions of another person or entity throughout the Central Florida area. He fights to obtain recoveries for his clients’ physical and emotional pain and suffering and pursues his clients’ personal injury cases with a commitment to excellence and impeccable preparation.