The FWC continues to investigate a tragic boating accident that occurred near the Cape Coral Yacht Club on Saturday, resulting in the loss of three lives and leaving one person in critical condition.
“We saw a high-speed catamaran, and it flipped pretty much end over end behind us,” said Trevor Zamniak, a witness to the accident.
According to a friend who spoke with WINK News, the victims were participating in an annual Turkey Run and were on their way back from Naples when the disaster struck.
Brenna Millett and Rebecca Knight died while at the hospital. Craig Millett’s body was found in the water after hours of searching. Neal Kirby remains in the hospital in critical but stable condition.
The Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission (FWC) is investigating the incident.
“We’ll do things like I’m looking at GPS footage, potentially engine data, anything we can find to kind of put pieces together in our investigative process,” shared Bradley Johnson, an FWC public information officer.
Johnson explained the complexity of such investigations.
“They look at a lot of data and information, piecing that accident back together, especially in these marine environments, where evidence sinks and floats away and shifts,” said Johnson. “So there’s a lot of information for them to sift through. So it can take some time before they get those answers to you, but they are going to work diligently to get that information.”
The response to the crash involved helicopters, boats, K-9 units and dive teams. The investigation is ongoing as the FWC works to determine the exact cause of the accident.