Current:Home > MarketsAirboats collide in Florida, injuring 13 who were on Everglades tours -NextFrontier Finance
Airboats collide in Florida, injuring 13 who were on Everglades tours
View
Date:2025-04-25 22:39:47
Two airboats collided with each other on a lake in Florida, injuring 13 people.
The airboats crashed into one another on Monday at Wild Florida, a nature park that offers gator encounters, a safari and Everglade airboat tours. The park is in Kenansville on Lake Cypress, just south of Orlando.
The cause of the crash is not yet known, and the U.S. Coast Guard Marine Safety Unit will be leading the investigation. Wild Florida has suspended all airboat activities until further notice in response to the incident.
Here’s what else we know so far:
When did the airboat crash occur?
The crash happened around 12:15 p.m. Monday.
The Florida Fish and Wildlife Commission and the Osceola County Sheriff's Office first responded to the scene of the incident. The U.S. Coast Guard investigators arrived on the scene shortly after.
How many people were on the airboats?
According to the Coast Guard, approximately 30 people were involved in the incident, including 28 passengers and two captains.
It's unclear how many people were on each individual boat.
What is known about their injuries?
The extent of the injuries suffered by the 13 people are unknown, though the Coast Guard said there were no life-threatening injuries.
WFTV-TV in Orlando reported that two people were flown to HCA Florida Osceola Hospital and six people were taken there by ambulance. Three people were taken by ambulance to St. Cloud Hospital and 17 people declined treatment.
Four people were taken to an Orlando Health facility and have already been released, WOFL-TV reported.
Crash:'Craziest experience of my life:' Pilot survives crash in waters off Florida Keys
Cold case:Miami police begin pulling cars submerged from a Doral lake. Here's what they found so far.
What is Wild Florida?
Wild Florida is a nature park on Lake Cypress south of Orlando and offers airboat tours, a safari drive-thru and animal encounters, its website says.
Wild Florida is on a mission to "provide an unforgettable Everglades experience that promotes a connection with animals while inspiring education and conservation," according to its website.
What has Wild Florida said about the incident?
The Wild Florida team took to Facebook to apologize to all visitors involved and wish a speedy recovery to those injured.
"We are cooperating fully with the Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission, the U.S. Coast Guard, and other state and local authorities as they conduct an official investigation of the incident," the Facebook post said. "We are also conducting our own internal investigation to determine the cause of the incident. Wild Florida prides itself on not just having U.S. Coast Guard-approved airboats but also hiring licensed Master Captains who elevate our safety protocols."
veryGood! (3)
Related
- South Korea's acting president moves to reassure allies, calm markets after Yoon impeachment
- Minnesota man arrested over the hit-and-run death of his wife
- Coronavirus: When Meeting a National Emissions-Reduction Goal May Not Be a Good Thing
- Hollywood actors agree to federal mediation with strike threat looming
- What to watch: O Jolie night
- San Francisco Becomes the Latest City to Ban Natural Gas in New Buildings, Citing Climate Effects
- The story of Monopoly and American capitalism
- Farmers Insurance pulls out of Florida, affecting 100,000 policies
- Woman dies after Singapore family of 3 gets into accident in Taiwan
- Al Pacino and More Famous Men Who Had Children Later in Life
Ranking
- Former longtime South Carolina congressman John Spratt dies at 82
- Inside Clean Energy: Here Is How Covid Is Affecting Some of the Largest Wind, Solar and Energy Storage Projects
- Activists See Biden’s Day One Focus on Environmental Justice as a Critical Campaign Promise Kept
- A woman is ordered to repay $2,000 after her employer used software to track her time
- New Zealand official reverses visa refusal for US conservative influencer Candace Owens
- Inside Clean Energy: 6 Things Michael Moore’s ‘Planet of the Humans’ Gets Wrong
- Charles Manson follower Leslie Van Houten released from prison after serving 53 years for 2 murders
- Tom Brady Shares His and Ex Gisele Bundchen's Parenting Game Plan
Recommendation
NHL in ASL returns, delivering American Sign Language analysis for Deaf community at Winter Classic
As Biden Eyes a Conservation Plan, Activists Fear Low-Income Communities and People of Color Could Be Left Out
Ecuador’s High Court Affirms Constitutional Protections for the Rights of Nature in a Landmark Decision
Can Arctic Animals Keep Up With Climate Change? Scientists are Trying to Find Out
Trump issues order to ban transgender troops from serving openly in the military
NPR and 'New York Times' ask judge to unseal documents in Fox defamation case
Microsoft slashes 10,000 jobs, the latest in a wave of layoffs
H&R Block and other tax-prep firms shared consumer data with Meta, lawmakers say