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Fatal boat crash investigation continues in Broward, Miami-Dade

MIAMI-DADE COUNTY, Fla. – The death of Zach Forte in the Baker’s Haulover Inlet area remains under investigation on Friday in both Broward and Miami-Dade counties.

After a massive search involving the U.S. Coast Guard, the Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission and Miami-Dade Fire Rescue, investigators found Forte’s lifeless body on Thursday. He was 27.

Dustin Wolf, one of Forte’s friends, said he was from Connecticut and he had recently moved to South Florida after living in North Carolina.

“I love that kid. He was always looking out for other people,” Wolf said.

Body found during search for man who vanished in Haulover Inlet

Investigators believe he was thrown into the water after the impact of an early Thursday morning crash in the Haulover Sandbar area. The search for Forte’s body took more than 12 hours. There is a witness who survived the crash.

Joanne McLaughlin, who was in the area during the massive search, said she saw a woman who appeared to be the survivor of the crash.

“I saw a girl sitting in a chair ... wrapped in a blanket, crying,” McLaughlin said, adding she was “just distraught” and “somebody came and picked her up.”

Authorities recover body of man killed in boat crash near Haulover Inlet

On Thursday night, Fort Lauderdale Police Department detectives helped FWC investigators to find a suspect who might have been the operator of the boat. A vessel with damage was docked off the Sunrise Boulevard bridge.

Body found in this area

Damaged boat found in this area


About the Author
Janine Stanwood headshot

Janine Stanwood joined Local 10 News in February 2004 as an assignment editor. She is now a general assignment reporter. Before moving to South Florida from her Washington home, Janine was the senior legislative correspondent for a United States senator on Capitol Hill.

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