By Michael Moore Jr.
Miami Herald
BRADENTON, Fla. — Ten people were injured in an accident between a yacht and a smaller boat near Anna Maria Island on Sunday afternoon, according to West Manatee Fire Rescue officials.
The collision, which occurred just before 3 p.m. in the intercoastal waters off the northern end of Anna Maria Island, involved a 50-foot race-style yacht driven by one person, while the second boat was a 24-foot bowrider with 10 people on it, Fire Marshal Rodney Kwiatkowski told the Bradenton Herald.
All 10 of the smaller boat’s passengers, six of whom were minors, were taken to a local hospital. Nine had minor injuries while a 41-year-old woman suffered critical injuries, with multiple lacerations to the head and face, said Kwiatkowski.
Sunday’s crash is at least the second Manatee County boating collision in recent weeks. Earlier this month, a 14-year-old was killed and his brother was critically injured after a jet ski collided with their boat on the Manatee River.
West Manatee Fire Rescue received the call at 2:55 p.m. and arrived on the scene at 3:03 p.m., transporting the 10 patients to Kingfish Boat Ramp on Holmes Beach, where patients were received by Manatee County EMS and transported for treatment.
While they were clearing the scene, a boat carrying a shark attack victim, who had a tourniquet applied to the injury on his leg, also arrived at the boat ramp, Kwiatkowski said.
A man in his early 20s was bitten by an unknown species of shark in the water north of Anna Maria Island’s Bean Point and was taken by Manatee County EMS to HCA Florida Blake Hospital. His condition is unknown at this time.
Manatee County Marine Rescue, Manatee County Sheriff’s Office, Holmes Beach Police Department, North River Fire District and the Florida Fish and Wildlife Commission also responded to the scene of the boat crash.
It remains unclear at this time how the two boats collided, but the investigation is ongoing.
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