Unlicensed captain tips over airboat, throwing 10 overboard, authorities say
Nine passengers’ trip through the Everglades on an airboat Friday ended very wet after their captain tipped over the watercraft, authorities said. The driving mishap landed the man in jail.
On Friday afternoon, Miami-Dade Fire Rescue was called regarding several people being thrown into the Everglades’ murky water after an airboat flipped, fire rescue said.
Only one person was checked for injuries but ultimately was not taken to the hospital.
The Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission said 10 people were aboard when the airboat took a sharp turn, throwing them off. The airboat operator, an employee of Coopertown Airboat Rides, did not have proof of completion of a boating safety course or a captain’s license.
Officials arrested the man due to his lack of credentials and took him to jail. The identity of the boat operator was not released.
This story was originally published March 30, 2024 at 12:00 AM.
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