Search continues for man who disappeared after Key Biscayne boat collision
The U.S. Coast Guard and other agencies continued searching Tuesday for a 33-year-old man who went missing after two boats collided in the waters off Key Biscayne.
The boats crashed into each other Monday night near Bear Cut Bridge. The initial report came in before 8 p.m., said Petty Officer Jose Hernandez.
A 33-foot Coast Guard patrol boat picked up six people from the water after their vessel capsized, the agency said Tuesday.
According to Miami Fire Rescue Lt. Pete Sanchez, both boats were small fishing vessels. One had seven people onboard and the other had just the captain.
Sanchez said one woman and two men from the boat with seven were taken to nearby hospitals, two with serious injuries. One man from that boat was reportedly thrown overboard. The captain from the other boat was also taken to a hospital with a leg injury.
The Coast Guard released photos of one of the boats involved in the crash Tuesday morning. The photo shows the vessel with a large gash on its hull.
Among the agencies involved in the search are the Coast Guard, City of Miami Fire Rescue, Miami-Dade Fire Rescue, Florida Fish and Wildlife Commission and Tow Boat USA. Coast Guard assets taking part in the search include two patrol boats, two cutters and a helicopter.
Hernandez said Tuesday afternoon that the search will continue through Wednesday morning if the man is not found by then.
Sanchez said divers — with the help of a spotlight from a helicopter — searched for over two hours Monday night to no avail. Just after 10 p.m. the search switched from rescue to recovery.
“There were numerous divers trying to find the victim,” Sanchez said.
The FWC, the agency in charge of investigating the cause of the crash, has not released the name of anyone involved, including the missing man.
This story was originally published January 4, 2021 at 9:43 PM.
