A man is dead after a boat capsized Saturday afternoon in Tampa, according to the Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission.
The incident happened shortly before 2 p.m. in Hillsborough Bay just south of Davis Islands.
Emergency responders arrived at the scene after receiving 911 calls about six people clinging to a buoy.
The Hillsborough County Sheriff’s Office used boats to pull some five people out of the water. One of the people recovered from the water, a 57-year-old man, died from his injuries.
One person was able to swim to Beer Can Island and was rescued by MacDill Air Force Base Marine Patrol.
One person was transported to a hospital for treatment.
FWC is conducting an investigation of the boating incident.
The boat, which sunk, will be retrieved once the weather improves.
Just like anyone driving a vehicle on the road, boat operators have a responsibility to control their vehicles safely on the water. Operators must understand how to navigate the vessel properly, travel at appropriate speeds, comply with all laws, and never operate the watercraft while under the influence of drugs or alcohol. Not all boating accidents can be attributed to operator negligence or inexperience, though. Boating and watercraft accidents can also result from poor maintenance or defective boating design.
Issues that arise in boating accidents, such as proving negligence and responsibility, are similar to car accident and truck accident cases. However, when water is involved, there are additional factors that require the expertise and knowledge of a Tampa Bay Boating Accident Attorney at Whittel & Melton.