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1 dead, 1 injured after 30-foot boat collides with Fisher Island ferry

PortMiami channel closed to cruise traffic for nearly 12 hours due to investigation

MIAMI-DADE COUNTY, Fla. – A man has died following a boat crash involving a Fisher Island ferry that occurred early Sunday morning.

The deadly boat collision in the waters near PortMiami also sent a second person to the hospital in serious condition.

According to City of Miami Fire Rescue personnel, the crash happened just before 3:40 a.m. when a 30-foot boat collided into a Fisher Island car ferry in the Government Cut channel.

Workers onboard the ferry were able to pull one man out of the water and paramedics rushed him to Jackson Memorial Hospital’s Ryder Trauma Center in Miami.

But while being transported, they say the man mentioned his friend was also on-board the boat and was now missing.

That led crews to call in a dive team, which immediately launched a search-and-rescue operation.

That search ended minutes later when a second man was recovered and pronounced dead at the scene.

No workers onboard the ferry were hurt.

The Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission is now in charge of figuring out what led up to the collision and why.

Due to the investigation and the attempt to recover the sunken boat from the crash, three cruise ships that were scheduled to dock at PortMiami on Sunday morning were unable to do so.

Those ships are the Carnival Celebration, the MSC Seascape and the Norwegian Escape.

The channel reopened at approximately 2:45 p.m., allowing cruise ship traffic to resume following the recovery of the sunken boat.


About the Authors
Trent Kelly headshot

Trent Kelly is an award-winning multimedia journalist who joined the Local 10 News team in June 2018. Trent is no stranger to Florida. Born in Tampa, he attended the University of Florida in Gainesville, where he graduated with honors from the UF College of Journalism and Communications.

Bridgette Matter headshot

Bridgette Matter joined the Local 10 News team as a reporter in July 2021. Before moving to South Florida, she began her career in South Bend, Indiana and spent six years in Jacksonville as a reporter and weekend anchor.

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