CORAL GABLES, Fla. – A racing boat that partially sank Friday morning in Biscayne Bay had made an “abrupt turn” before the two passengers onboard the boat were ejected, the Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission confirmed Saturday.
Images from Sky 10 showed the catamaran racing boat sinking about a mile east of Matheson Hammock Park.
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The incident happened sometime before 10:30 a.m., according to fire dispatch records.
According to the FWC, two men were onboard the 24′ Power Catamaran and were leaving Matheson Hammock State Park when the boat made the abrupt turn, ejecting both passengers.
The passengers were identified Saturday as Francisco Cordero II, 54, and Ruskin Passaro, 49.
The FWC said both men were retrieved from the water by good Samaritans.
Medics took the victims to Jackson Memorial Hospital, Coral Gables police said. One of the victims had severe injuries and was taken to JMH as a trauma alert patient.
Josue Rodriguez, a friend of the victims, said he was in the process of taking his boat out to meet them when the crash happened. He said the two are experienced with speedboats.
“He knew what he was doing and the day was calm and something must have gone wrong,” Rodriguez told Local 10 News in Spanish, saying he didn’t know what led up to the crash.
Amid calm waters, Rodriguez said something must have malfunctioned with the boat.
A fisherman told Local 10 News that the water in the area is only about 11 feet deep.