A woman died when her dinghy capsized off Key West. Alcohol was a factor, police said.
A woman died Tuesday night after the 11-foot skiff she was in capsized in Key West Harbor when winds were gusting up to 40 knots, police said.
Saronne Lee Prater, 49, of Key West, was a passenger in the Carolina skiff, said the Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission.
The crash was alcohol-related, the FWC report states.
Prater was pronounced dead at Lower Keys Medical Center, FWC said. Tuesday was her birthday.
Prater was on her way with Johnny Louis “Jeep” Caillouet, 70, to Wisteria Island, an undeveloped island just off Key West where many people either live in camps or on boats.
Caillouet was piloting the boat. He had minor injuries in the crash and was treated at Lower Keys Medical Center, FWC said.
The crash, which happened at about 7:30 p.m., is under investigation, according to the FWC report, which indicated the Monroe County State Attorney’s Office has been contacted.
Prater was a native of Somerset, Kentucky, and she studied at the University of Kentucky, according to her Facebook page.
This story was originally published January 22, 2020 at 12:50 PM.
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