Authorities declare 'mass casualty' tragedy after Florida boat crash

Authorities have declared a "mass casualty" incident following a horrific crash involving a boat and a ferry in Florida.

A mass casualty incident has been declared in Florida. Credit: Clearwater Fire & Rescue Department / Facebook

The scene unfolded near the Memorial Causeway Bridge in Clearwater, Florida, on Sunday night when a boat crashed into a crowded ferry, leaving one person dead and at least a dozen injured before fleeing the scene, per the New York Post.

The Clearwater Police Department confirmed the tragedy, posting on X that there were multiple injuries and declaring it a “mass casualty incident” due to the sheer number of victims.

Emergency services rushed to the ferry, which was carrying more than 40 people at the time of the collision. According to early reports from Rob Shaw of the City of Clearwater, there were 45 passengers on board, including two crew members.

“All local hospitals have been notified. Multiple trauma alerts have been called with helicopters transporting two of the more seriously injured,” Clearwater Fire & Rescue shared in a Facebook post.

Footage shared on social media showed a chaotic, urgent response as dozens of police cars and ambulances raced toward the scene, red and blue lights flashing across the night sky.

According to 10 Tampa Bay, there were about 10 emergency vehicles present shortly after the crash. Rescue workers were seen trying “desperately” to get the injured persons off the ferry.

Adding to the horror, maritime officials speaking over a police scanner indicated there were “multiple red tag victims” among the injured — a term used by the National Institute of Health to denote patients who have sustained severe but survivable injuries.

The ferry came to rest on a sandbar just south of the Memorial Causeway Bridge, with all passengers and patients eventually removed from the vessel.

Police have told residents to avoid the area. Credit: Douglas Sacha / Getty

Witnesses on the scene described the frantic atmosphere. "A regular boat just hit the ferry in Clearwater. I think over 4 helicopters airlifting people out so far, I don’t even know how many ambulances are there. Every minute there’s more and more," one supposed witness wrote on X, citing a local coast guard broadcast. "This is awful."

Officials stated that the boat responsible for the crash fled immediately after impact. Hours later, Clearwater officials announced the vessel had been identified by another law enforcement agency.

Clearwater Mayor Bruce Rector confirmed that the boat was privately owned, according to ABC.

The boat was also described as a recreational vessel by officials from the Seventh Coast Guard District.

There were even scanner reports suggesting that two separate maritime accidents might have happened simultaneously, with an officer reportedly stating there were "approximately 40 patients" receiving treatment in the aftermath.

The crash took place on the final night of Clearwater’s popular 17-day Sugar Sand Festival — a time when ferry traffic was heavy as visitors traveled between Clearwater Beach and the mainland via the Memorial Causeway Bridge, per the Mirror.

Authorities, including the US Coast Guard and the Florida Fish & Wildlife Conservation Commission, have launched a full investigation into the collision.

Police urged drivers and residents to avoid the Memorial Causeway area to allow emergency crews the space needed to respond.

Featured image credit: Clearwater Fire & Rescue Department / Facebook