KEY LARGO, Fla. – The Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission is investigating a boat crash in Key Largo that occurred early Sunday morning.
The boat went airborne after the operator reportedly fell against the throttle, authorities confirmed Monday.
6 p.m. report:
Surveillance footage from charter boat operators “The Fish Guyz” shows the boat accelerating uncontrollably, launching through the air, and colliding with a seawall of the Mote Marine Laboratory.
“Oh my god, I hope nobody got killed. That’s the first thing I could think of,” said Ron Jehle, who witnessed the crash from the Marina Club at Blackwater Sound. “I did see the one guy fly out of the boat — and this tree limb here came down on top of him,” Jehle added.
Local 10 spoke with the boat owner Daniel Roque who said the incident happened so quickly that he didn’t feel scared in the moment. His friend, who was ejected from the boat, escaped without injury.
Roque’s son, Daniel Roque Jr., explained that his father was trying to avoid other boats in the marina as wind conditions worsened. “
“So that he wouldn’t hit them, he pulled the throttle forward — he slipped back and as he slipped back, the throttle went more forward and he lost control,” Roque Jr. said.
The boat, a center-console vessel, ended up wedged in trees, causing significant damage to the dock. A salvage company used inflatable devices and ropes to pull it back into the water.
Charles Hansen of Fast Response Marine Towing and Salvage explained, “These airbags essentially float boats underwater. They also act as jacks, so we were able to get it under the hull and lift it under the lip.”
Laughing after the incident, Roque remarked, “The gods came out for him that night.”
No other details about the incident were immediately released.