Man dies, 2 others airlifted after Biscayne Bay boat crash

MIAMI-DADE COUNTY, Fla. – One man died and two others were hurt in a boat crash in Biscayne Bay Tuesday afternoon, according to the Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission.

The crash happened in the waters east of Cutler Bay.

Sky 10 flew over the scene just after 2:30 p.m., where Miami-Dade police marine officers were performing CPR on one of the victims.

Medics eventually loaded all three victims onto a MDFR boat and they were taken to Black Point Marina, where medics airlifted all three to area hospitals.

The boat’s operator, Michael Garcia, 41, of Miami, died of his injuries, FWC spokesperson Arielle Callender said Wednesday afternoon.

Video from Sky 10 showed a single damaged boat and the area around the crash site littered with debris.

Local 10 News spoke to Kenneth Rodriguez, who was coming back from a fishing trip when he saw the boat spinning out of control.

“We noticed a boat spinning in circles, just doing laps,” he said. “Instantly I thought someone got thrown overboard.

FWC officers eventually pulled the 39-foot Contender vessel back into the marina, where the inside could be seen badly damaged.

“Preliminary information indicated the vessel was traveling at a high rate of speed when it lost control ejecting the three passengers on board,” Callender said.

It is not clear what caused the operator to lose control of the boat.

The crash remains under investigation, though it does not appear any other boats were hit.

“I just hope other boaters out there take better safety precautions,” Rodriguez said. “One of the people onboard said their electronics went out and their steering went out.”

Authorities have not provided any updates on the two injured victims’ conditions.

Callender said the FWC’s investigation remained active as of Wednesday.

From Sky 10: Miami-Dade Fire Rescue crews load a patient into an ambulance as they prepare to take two more to a local hospital following a boat crash Tuesday. (WPLG)

This is a developing story. Stay with Local 10 News and Local10.com for updates.

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About the Authors
Chris Gothner headshot

Chris Gothner joined the Local 10 News team in 2022 as a Digital Journalist.

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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