ferry and yacht crash

Man dead and another hospitalized after boat hits ferry near Miami port

MIAMI — A man was killed early Sunday and cruise line arrivals were disrupted after a 30-foot boat hit a ferry near Miami, authorities said.

Another man was hospitalized in serious condition after the boat hit the Fisher Island Ferry about 3:40 a.m. local time.

The man was pulled from the water by ferry workers, and he told them about his missing friend before he was taken to a hospital, the Miami Herald reported.

The missing man was later found dead.

The accident happened near Dodge Island, which has a row of cruise ship terminals.

Three cruise lines had to change unloading procedures after The U.S. Coast Guard set up a temporary security zone that limited traffic in and out of PortMiami while the Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission investigates the crash, the newspaper reported.

The Associated Press

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Man shares final moments with victims before fatal boat crash involving fisher island ferry.

Bridgette Matter , Reporter

Ryan Mackey , Digital Journalist

MIAMI – A man shared the final moments he had with victims before they were involved in a deadly boat and car ferry collision near Port Miami early Sunday morning.

Officials with the Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission, released the names Monday of the two men who were on a 32-foot boat that collided with the Fisher Island Ferry just before 4 a.m.

FWC officials said workers on the ferry were able to pull out Angel Dominguez, 29, of Hialeah, from the water. He was taken to Jackson Memorial Hospital’s Ryder Trauma Center with serious injuries.

The crash killed Cristian Gaston Fernandez, 27, of Cutler Bay, who was recovered by Miami Fire Rescue divers and was pronounced dead at the scene, officials said.

Russell Ramirez told Local 10 News in a phone call he was partying with the two men just hours before the crash.

“We were just partying on the boat. Chris and Angel were the people in the accident. They have their own boat, which was Angel’s boat, so they met up with us,” he said.

“F rom what I could tell they were sober and they were stand-up guys,” he added. “They were good guys. We were having a good time (and) we were just partying.

The FWC incident form says it is unknown if anyone was drinking at the time of the crash and that charges are pending.

Sky 10 flew over the 32-foot boat Monday after it was recovered. It is now sitting at an FWC facility for inspection.

Authorities said no one on the ferry was hurt and investigators did not say who was driving the boat at the time of the crash.

Local 10 News Digital Journalist Chris Gothner contributed to this story.

Copyright 2023 by WPLG Local10.com - All rights reserved.

About the Authors

Bridgette matter.

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.

Ryan Mackey

Ryan Mackey is a Digital Journalist at WPLG. He was born in Long Island, New York, and has lived in Sunrise, Florida since 1994.

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Local News | PortMiami reopens 11 hours after boating…

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Local News | PortMiami reopens 11 hours after boating accident left one person dead, disrupted cruise traffic

The resulting investigation and recovery of the vessel prompted the Coast Guard to enforce a “safety zone” at PortMiami, with the channel closed and cruise traffic halted. The Coast Guard said Sunday afternoon, some 11 hours after the accident, that the channel was cleared at would be reopened.

A port spokeswoman said the closure disrupted travel plans for 33,000 passengers scheduled to arrive and depart Sunday on three ships.

The spillover effects on scheduled Sunday afternoon departures were significant. The largest of the three affected ships, the Carnival Celebration, was scheduled to depart for its next cruise at 4 p.m. Sunday, but it didn’t dock from the arriving cruise until after 4 p.m. It takes a long time to turn around the ships, and Carnival told passengers their window to arrive at the terminal for embarkation was from 8 p.m. to 11 p.m.

PortMiami said on Twitter late Sunday afternoon that the three ships were all scheduled to depart “no later than midnight” — six to eight hours late.

The Coast Guard said the channel closure was to support crews clearing the channel of the obstruction from the fatal collision near Government Cut. By early afternoon, the Coast Guard said it had authorized the reopening of the south channel “to resume maritime transportation system operations into Port Miami.” Just after 2:30 p.m. The Coast Guard said crews had “successfully recovered the sunken vessel & removed the obstruction in the north channel.”

#Update 6: Crews have successfully recovered the sunken vessel & removed the obstruction in the North channel. @USCG Captain of the Port has authorized a reopening of @PortMiami to all vessel traffic. @MyFWC @MiamiDadeCounty @MiamiDadeFire @MiamiDadePD @CityofMiamiFire @MiamiPD — USCGSoutheast (@USCGSoutheast) June 25, 2023

The port, in a separate statement on Twitter, said the closure of the PortMiami channel affected arrival and debarkation of passengers on Carnival Celebration, MSC Seascape and NCL Escape. A livestream from portmiamiwebcam.com showed the Celebration was arriving after 4 p.m.

The Escape, scheduled to depart at 5:30 p.m., and the Seascape, scheduled to depart, at 6 p.m., both were docked by 4 p.m.

Port spokeswoman Suzy Trutie said Carnival Celebration had 6,216 to debark and about 6,100 to embark. The website cruisemapper.com showed the Celebration ending an eight-day cruise to the southern Caribbean and scheduled to depart Sunday for a seven-day eastern Caribbean cruise.

The NCL Escape had 5,081 passengers scheduled to debark Sunday and approximately 5,000 to embark, Trutie said. Cruisemapper.com said it was returning from a seven-day Caribbean cruise on Sunday and scheduled to depart on the same itinerary.

The MSC Seascape had 5,358 to debark and about 5,250 embark, Trutie said.Cruisemapper.com said it was ending a seven-day cruise to the western Caribbean and departing for a seven-day eastern Caribbean cruise.

This is what Carnival told Celebration passengers in a text at 3 p.m. Sunday:

“Good news! PortMiami has re-opened and the ship is sailing in,” Carnival said. “Once the ship arrives, we must allow debarking guests to leave before we can accommodate your arrival. Please do not proceed to the port until you have received our final update. Thanks for your patience and cooperation.”

Earlier Sunday, Carnival told passengers that “This is not the way we expected to start your cruise, and we appreciate your patience and understanding.”

#Update 2 @USCG Captain of the Port authorized reopening the South channel to resume maritime transportation system operations into @PortMiami while the North channel remains closed as crews continue efforts to remove the sunken obstruction. @MyFWC @MiamiDadeFire @MiamiDadeCounty — USCGSoutheast (@USCGSoutheast) June 25, 2023

Greg Chin, a spokesperson for Miami International Airport said MIA notified domestic airlines about the situation at the port, and they are waiving rebooking fees for cruise passengers affected by the situation at the port. An average of some 10,000 PortMiami cruise passengers use Miami International every day based on an annual total of 4 million.

At about 3:40 a.m., Miami-Fire Rescue was notified of the collision between a 30- to 32-foot boat and the Fisher Island Ferry that transports people and vehicles between Fisher Island and Miami Beach, an agency spokesperson told local TV stations.

The exclusive island is accessible only by boat.

Workers on the ferry pulled one man out of the water. He was taken to Ryder Trauma Center. On his way to the hospital, the injured victim said his friend was on the boat and missing, said Public Information Officer Pete Sanchez.

Divers began searching for the second man, who was found dead, Sanchez said.

#PortMiami update pic.twitter.com/UaVVlLaYLK — PortMiami (@PortMiami) June 25, 2023

The Coast Guard said that the Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission was conducting the investigation.

The port advised people to contact cruise lines for updates. PortMiami said Carnival cruise passengers could text “CCL3” to CRUISE (278473) for information. The port said the number for MSC is 833-578-6488 and NCL is 866-234-7350.

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'Our boat is sinking!': Video shows terrifying moments ferry sank in Bahamas, killing 1

A 75-year-old American woman is dead after a double-decker ferry carrying cruise ship passengers to a popular tourist island sank in the Bahamas, local officials said.

The incident took place Tuesday as the boat departed Paradise Island, Nassau, while ferrying tourists to Blue Lagoon Island, a spokesperson with The Royal Bahamas Police Force confirmed to USA TODAY.

The tourist destination is located about three miles northeast of Nassau, the capital of the Bahamas.

Frightening video taken from the scene shows passengers wearing orange life vests around their neck, clinging to one side of the ferry as the vessel sinks into Caribbean turquoise waters.

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At least one American citizen died

Police said the ferry left a dock in Paradise Island about 9:30 a.m. with about 100 passengers on board, the Nassau Guardian reported.

"The vessel experienced rough seas in the area, which resulted in the boat taking on water and becoming submerged in waters just outside of Blue Lagoon," police chief Superintendent Chrislyn Skippings told the outlet.

Police reported a 75-year-old woman from Colorado died in the incident, according to the outlet.

Her identity and cause of death were not immediately known.

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Passengers were reportedly all from a cruise ship

According to a statement released online from Blue Lagoon Island, the passengers on board the ferry were from a cruise ship.

The accident took place as the vessel was approaching Blue Lagoon Island, the statement said and emergency teams from the island "quickly arrived to render assistance."

“Passengers and five staff members were located and brought to the island, and two passengers were taken to the hospital for additional care," the statement continues.

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'Our boat is sinking'

"Out boat is sinking," Kelly Schissel, an American tourist on board the vessel, is heard saying in a TikTok video she filmed as the boat took on water. "Everybody is freaking out."

Chaos and screaming is heard in the background of the video which shows people with life jackets around their necks, some leaning over the boat looking into the water watching in horror as it sinks.

"I'm on the top floor of a ferry," Schissel says as she continued to film, the boat seen tipped on its side into choppy waters.

At one point, people are seen jumping off what appears to be the back of the boat into the water as others on board continue to shout.

About a half dozen people in the shot are seen swimming towards another boat stopped a short distance from the ferry.

"We were almost there... we weren't actually that close to shore it just kind of looked like it," Schissel said in a follow up video on TikTok shot after she made it to land.

She said when water began pouring into the boat, many passengers were waiting for instruction from crew members, but they reportedly did not give any.

So when they saw someone jump into the rough water, she said, they followed in suit with life jackets and swam to a nearby boat until other boats arrived to help in the rescue effort.

The conditions of those transported to the hospital were not immediately known Wednesday.

In addition to local authorities, according to the Blue Lagoon statement, the island alerted the cruise ship and the U.S.Embassy about the accident.

The statement said the organization would release more details as they become available

Natalie Neysa Alund is a senior reporter for USA TODAY. Reach her at [email protected] and follow her on X @nataliealund.

‘We're stuck': Passengers react after Port of Miami closed by deadly Fisher Island Ferry boat crash

The port was shut down for several hours, but reopened around 6 p.m., by kim wynne • published june 26, 2023 • updated on june 26, 2023 at 10:03 am.

A deadly boat crash caused Port of Miami to be shut down for several hours early Sunday morning, resulting in long delays for hundreds of passengers.

Barnabas Johnson and his pregnant wife had been on their feet, waiting to get on their MSC cruise since 2 p.m. Sunday.

📺 24/7 South Florida news stream: Watch NBC6 free wherever you are

“We’re stuck,” Johnson said. “There’s nothing we can do. We can’t go home. We can't leave. We can’t cancel our trip. We can’t get money back.”

Johnson was one of hundreds of passengers stuck in a sea of people at Port of Miami. He told NBC6 he was supposed to board his cruise ship at 2 p.m., but it kept getting pushed back hour after hour.

The Hurricane season is on. Our meteorologists are ready. Sign up for the NBC 6 Weather newsletter to get the latest forecast in your inbox.

The delay came after a boat crashed into the Fisher Island Ferry, killing one man and sending another to the hospital just before 4 a.m.

Port of Miami was shut down for several hours, but reopened around 6 p.m. Passengers said they were left stuck outside in the heat.

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“People are hungry,” Johnson said. “People are thirsty and they’re telling us that it’s gonna be a long wait.”

“The line is like all over the place,” said another passenger. “You see people cutting other people off, no explanation why.”

Other passengers who returned from their cruises had long waits as well, but to get off their ships.

Thomas Sindoni and his family were supposed to get off their cruise ship at 7 a.m., but didn’t disembark until 8:45 Sunday night.

“They closed the food down, no food, no beverages,” Sindoni said. “They closed down everything.”

Jen and Rick Swartz waited nine hours to get off their Carnival cruise ship.

“We don’t have a flight home,” Rick said. “We missed our flight. We would have been home by now if we would have made our flight.”

“We’re going to a hotel and hope things get better tomorrow.”

Carnival Cruises said they continued to keep their guests updated throughout the day.

NBC6 reached out to MSC Cruises for a statement, but haven’t received a response yet.

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Watch: Boat called ‘Nap Tyme’ collides with Washington State Ferry near Vashon Island

The boater was apparently below deck when he crossed in front of the Chetzemoka. No one was injured.

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It was as if the boater was asleep at the wheel.

A vessel, aptly called “Nap Tyme,” motored into the path of Washington State Ferry Chetzemoka on Sunday, colliding with the much-larger boat while a passenger filmed from an observation deck.

“As far as we know,” state ferries spokesman Brian Mannion said, “the person driving that boat, ‘Nap Tyme,’ was below deck” when it crossed in front of the ferry.

Warning: This video, shot by passengers aboard the ferry, contains some “salty” language.

Mannion said the ferry captain followed all protocol when blaring warning blasts from the boat’s horn, and was even able to bring his vessel almost to a complete stop.

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No injuries were reported — and the ferry was delayed for only 30 minutes before the Coast Guard cleared both vessels for travel, Mannion said.

The exact cause of the vessel collision is under investigation, said a U.S. Coast Guard spokeswoman. The pilot of “Nap Tyme” was not cited at the scene and is not under criminal investigation, she said.

Mannion said boaters need to be alert at all times, a simple rule that would have prevented the incident.

“We’re very fortunate no one was injured and the damage was minor,” he said.

The Chetzemoka was traveling toward Vashon Island from Point Defiance.

Watch CBS News

One dead after yacht crashed into Fisher Island Ferry

Bluebridge ferry towed into Wellington after losing power, drifting in Cook Strait

Maritime authorities have launched an investigation after a ferry with dozens of people on board lost power in the  Cook Strait  late last night.  

Maritime NZ was alerted just before 10.30pm that the Strait  NZ Bluebridge ferry, MV Connemara , had lost power about 3.7km off Sinclair Head.  

As a result, it started to drift south in what was described as moderate sea and weather conditions – away from the coast. A total of 88 people were on board.  

“There was no danger to the vessel, the people on board and the environment,” a Maritime NZ statement said.  

Looks like the Connemara has lost power in the Cook Strait after leaving Wellington this evening. Two tug boats from Wellington are on their way out to help! pic.twitter.com/8ahPO7P1K1 — Brady Dyer (@BR4DY) September 19, 2024

By 2am Friday, the tug boat Tapuhi was towing Connemara back to Wellington, and a second tug, Tiaki, was providing steerage.  

By 6am it was towed to Pipitea Wharf but all people remained on board.  

Authorities are now investigating the cause of the incident.  

“This will involve inspecting the ship, interviews, reviewing documents and gathering other information as required.  

“The vessel will remain alongside until it’s deemed safe to resume operations.”  

Both the privately owned  Bluebridge and the state-owned Interislander  have had engine failures in their ferries this year.  

In May, passengers on board a different Bluebridge ferry, Strait Feronia, were briefly plunged into darkness when their ship lost power coming into Wellington Harbour.  

In 2023, the  Connemara hit a wharf while it was leaving Wellington , causing a “decent dent” on the hull and a “very small hole” above the waterline, Nalder said at the time.  

The vessel returned to port and passengers were able to disembark safely. The Connemara underwent repairs and was back in service later that day.  

Interislander ferries have also been plagued by issues in recent months – most notably the grounding of the Aratere near Picton in June.  

The ferry, which was on a crew-only sailing, ran aground after a staff member mistakenly changed its course.  

– with RNZ  

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'What's going on on these ships?' Marine engineer questions Canada's ferry safety

‘there seems to be a problem in canada,’ says dalhousie industrial engineering prof.

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An on-board fire, a lost propeller, and a collision with a wharf have a marine engineer at Dalhousie University wondering what the federal government is doing to ensure that Canada's ferries are safe.

Two of these acccidents happened this month.

The Queen of New Westminster, which connects Vancouver Island to B.C.'s mainland, was pulled from service in the first week of September after a propeller sheared off during a crossing. On Sunday, the MV Confederation ferry, running between Nova Scotia and P.E.I., suffered a mechanical failure that caused it to slam into the wharf, punching a small hole in the bow.

In 2022, the Holiday Island caught fire while crossing between P.E.I. and Nova Scotia. The ferry was evacuated and later scrapped.

"It does bring into question what's going on on these ships," said John Dalziel, an adjunct professor in industrial engineering at Dalhousie University in Halifax.

"There seems to be a problem in Canada, across the country, particularly with ferries."

• MV Confederation out of service for unknown period after collision with wharf
• B.C. Ferries says vessel will be out for 6 months due to repairs

There were no serious injuries associated with any of these accidents, but Dalziel said the Holiday Island fire in particular had the potential to be a serious disaster. As it turned out, the fire started in calm weather and just as the ferry was pulling into the dock.

Had it happened in rough weather in the middle of the Northumberland Strait, the outcome might have been different, said Dalziel.

'That ship was in very bad condition'

The Holiday Island fire came just weeks after a CBC News report detailed maintenance problems with the ferry .

Those problems, which led to the ferry being out of service for much of 2016, should have been noticed earlier, said Dalziel.

"That ship was in very bad condition and it should have been known that it was in very bad condition," he said.

• LISTEN:   Ferry accident part of broader issue with maintenance, says naval architect

A further concern, he said, is that two years after the Holiday Island fire there is still no report on the cause. Such reports are important to preventing similar future accidents, he said.

"I'd go to [Confederation] Bridge now," said Dalziel about how to get on and off P.E.I.

"I'd rather go on the ferry myself. I like boat rides, but they don't seem to have reliability."

Who is in charge?

The problems highlight the complicated levels of responsibility for many of Canada's ferries.

Generally responsibility falls on a vessel's owner, which in the case of the boats running between P.E.I. and Nova Scotia is the federal government. But that's muddied by Northumberland Ferries, which operates the service, being in charge of maintenance.

Given that confusion, Dalziel recommended another approach for getting answers.

"It's Transport Canada's marine safety [program's] obligation to enforce standards within Canada," he said.

"I would go and ask them what's going on. Why did a propeller fall off a ferry in B.C.? Why did the Holiday Island continue to operate in such bad condition?"

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CBC News has for weeks been asking for an interview with federal Transport Minister Pablo Rodriguez about the safety and reliability of the Northumberland Ferries service, but he has not been made available.

"We recognize how important reliable ferry service is for Islanders, and operations will continue on this vital route for Atlantic Canadians," said Laurent de Casanove, press secretary to the minister, in an email Monday.

With files from Island Morning

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