MERRITT ISLAND, Fla. (WESH) – Three people were taken to the hospital after a boating accident after Saturday’s Merritt Island Christmas Boat Parade.
Witness Terry Thorne said she felt something was wrong.
“And he was getting around the pile very quickly,” Thorne said.
Shortly after, witnesses said the driver of the jet car boat lost control and jumped onto another boat.
The Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission confirmed that three people were taken to the hospital.
“At least no one died from it,” Thorne said.
Another witness, Don Wilson, said he saw the incident unfold shortly after the parade.
“It appears he was getting dangerously close to other boats. There were a lot of other boats, but certainly within seconds he hit someone,” Wilson said.
Residents said it was difficult for first responders to access the area because many cars were parked outside and roads were blocked.
In a Facebook post, boat parade organizers said they do not condone reckless boating and are working to prevent it from happening again.
“He was running 20 miles on this loop and was a little reckless,” Wilson said.
Wilson expressed relief that no one was killed, but hopes boaters will be more careful in the future.
“I hope the man who caused the accident learned a valuable lesson and is a better rower today than he was yesterday,” Wilson said.
The-CNN-Wire™ & © 2024 Cable News Network, Inc., a Time Warner Company. All rights reserved.
