MIAMI (WSVN) – A crash on the water turned tragic after a hit-and-run boater struck a dinghy in Biscayne Bay, killing a man and sending his teenage son to the hospital, authorities said.
Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission officers and Miami Beach Fire Rescue units responded to the scene of the crash near Indian Creek and Biscayne Point Circle, off Miami Beach, at around 8:30 p.m. on Wednesday.
Investigators said the victims were on board the seven-foot dinghy in the Meloy Channel when a much larger boat hit them, causing them to be ejected into the water.
Thursday morning, local teens Enzo Avelino and Samuel Londono described the moment they heard screams for help, prompting them to call 911.
“We couldn’t hear the crash, but we could hear the yells, ’cause the yells were loud,” said Avelino.
“That’s when I run to the dock, and I see like a silhouette or like a shadow of something, and we make it out and [say], ‘That’s someone, they need help, they need help,’” said Londono.
Those screams were coming from the 14-year-old boy who, authorities said, survived the crash.
“I yelled for him to float before the cops came, and he floated. He was, like, floating there with his dad, holding him,” said Avelino.
Fire rescue officials said the call came in as a drowning. When crews arrived, they learned it was a hit-and-run.
“They came in like two minutes; it was really, really fast,” said Avelino.
FWC said first responders with Miami-Dade Fire Rescue were able to pull the victims from the water. The father and son were then rushed to Jackson Memorial Hospital’s Ryder Trauma Center, where the father was pronounced dead.
7News cameras captured the moment paramedics wheeled the teenage victim, seen in a neck brace, into the hospital.
FWC officers were also at the hospital. They have taken the lead on this investigation and are looking for the boat responsible.
“The vessel involved has not yet been identified and is described as possibly a dark blue boat, 20 to 30 feet in length, with two outboard motors, last seen traveling northbound in the Meloy Channel,” said FWC Officer George Reynaud.
Back at the scene, area residents described it as chaotic.
Thursday afternoon, FWC said the injured teen suffered a broken arm and will be released from the hospital shortly.
If you have any information on this hit-and-run or the subject’s whereabouts, call Miami-Dade Crime Stoppers at 305-471-TIPS. Remember, you can always remain anonymous, and you may be eligible for a reward of up to $5,000.
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