MAY 23, 2015
SOUTHWEST MIAMI-DADE, FLA. (WSVN)
Two 18-year-old men were taken to the hospital early
Saturday after, officials said, their boat crashed into a light tower on
Biscayne Bay.
According to Miami Fire Rescue Capt. Ignatius Carroll, the
vessel struck the tower about three miles away from Elliott Key around 5 a.m.
"Their 20-to-23-foot Open Fisherman crashed into the frame of the light
tower, actually going through it with the bow in the water and the motor
sticking out in the back," he said.
Carroll said the impact threw the men around in the boat,
but neither one went overboard. "They were able to find their radio and
call the Coast Guard for help," he said.
Coast Guard crews found one of the victims unconscious and
the other one with serious injuries to his face and neck. The boaters were
taken to Black Point Marina, then transported to Kendall Regional Medical
Center for treatment.
Carroll stressed it's very important for boaters out on the
water during Memorial Day weekend to observe safety precautions. "A lot of
times, the incidents that we have happening in the water are not a result of
the crash itself, but the fact that you get thrown in the water, sustaining
injuries and not having life preservers on, so they're very lucky to be
alive," he said.
"With the start of Memorial Day weekend, there are
going to be a lot of boats that are out there, and these two are very lucky
that they were able to find their radio and call for help," Carroll
continued.
The cause of the crash remains under investigation. Young people, alcohol, drugs, boat crash. Based on the crash site, they were blind drunk. What else?