Fort Lauderdale, FL – A superyacht being towed through Fort Lauderdale’s New River struck multiple structures Monday, causing property damage and prompting an investigation by local and federal authorities.
According to city officials, the incident happened in the Riverwalk neighborhood near Southeast First Avenue and Riverwalk North.
The vessel involved was The Determination, a 112-foot Westport motor yacht based in Sarasota that was under the control of a towing boat at the time of the collision.
Witness Michael Mobile, known as Mobile Mike on social media, recorded the incident on his cellphone after noticing what he described as the yacht moving at a high rate of speed while being towed.
The video captured the moments leading up to the crash and showed the towboat identified as belonging to Steel Towing alongside the yacht.
City officials said the collision damaged a dock, the roof of a nearby two story building and a stormwater pump station.
Fort Lauderdale Police officers and Fire Rescue personnel responded to the scene to assess the damage and secure the area.
As a precaution, city crews closed the sidewalk next to the damaged property and installed barriers to prevent public access.
Officials also arranged for a structural engineer to inspect the affected building and seawall to determine whether additional repairs would be needed.
The Fort Lauderdale Police Department Marine Unit and the U.S. Coast Guard were notified following the incident.
Officials have not released a cause of the crash, and the investigation remains ongoing.
A representative for Steel Towing was not immediately available to comment on the incident.