Cops search for fleeing captain after hit-and-run threatens to sink 44-foot boat

Fort Lauderdale Police are searching for boat captain suspected of a nautical hit-and-run that tore a gaping hole in a docked 44-foot boat on Saturday evening and is threatening to sink the ship.

About 8:36 p.m., a boat passing along the New River near the 700 block of North Rio Vista Blvd. struck the docked ship and did not stop. Photos of the ship show its stern taking on water and slowly sinking into the New River.

“The [sinking of the] back half of the boat is already underway,” said Fort Lauderdale Fire Rescue Batallion Chief and Public Information Officer Stephen Gollan. “They are actively trying to pump it to keep the rest above water.”

No injuries were reported.

This story was originally published March 9, 2019 at 10:03 PM.

Martin Vassolo

Miami Herald

305-376-2071

Martin Vassolo writes about local government and community news in Miami Beach, Surfside and beyond. He was part of the team that covered the Champlain Towers South building collapse, work that was recognized with a staff Pulitzer Prize for breaking news. He began working for the Herald in 2018 after attending the University of Florida.