8 hospitalized following airboat crash in Florida, reports say
TAMPA, Fla. (WFLA) — An airboat crash in Kissimmee sent eight people to the hospital on Friday morning, according to NBC affiliate WESH.
The Osceola County Sheriff’s Office said 11 people were aboard the airboat tour at Lake Tohopekaliga when the boat hit a sandbar.
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Local fire crews said all passengers and crews have been accounted for, according to WESH.
The owner of Marsh Landing Adventures Orland Airboat Tours, Jim Passmore, told WESH that in their 13 years of business, nothing like this has ever happened. The company runs six boats, doing nearly 25 tours a day.
The incident occurred on the first tour Friday morning and subsequently canceled the remaining tours for the day. The company said they will pick back up on Saturday.
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“Coming back in, evidently we had shallow water that dropped on us during the night,” Passmore told WESH. “So, paying attention, he came to the area, doing about 10 maybe 12 miles an hour … Out here we don’t have breaks on them, so basically anything that’s in front of you, he ran up on a sandbar.”
Deputies said two minor injuries were reported, and that everyone onboard had life-saving devices.
The boat is still running but does require some minor repairs, according to WESH.
The outlet also reported that the U.S. Coast Guard and the Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission were also responding to the incident.
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