8 injured in Kissimmee airboat crash, officials say
KISSIMMEE, Fla. - Eight people were injured in an airboat crash in Kissimmee on Friday morning, according to a spokesperson for Osceola County Fire Rescue.
According to the Osceola County Sheriff's Office, the crash happened at Lake Toho near Triangle Neighborhood Park just off Neptune Road at around 11:30 a.m. The sheriff's office, the Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission (FWC), and the Osceola County Fire Department responded to the scene.
SKYFOX video: Multiple hurt in airboat crash in Osceola County
Multiple people were taken to the hospital Friday morning after an airboat crash near Partin Triangle Park and Neptune Road in Kissimmee, Florida, the Osceola County Fire Rescue said. Eight people were taken to the hospital. Here is video form SKYFOX over the scene.
The spokesperson said all 11 passengers and crew have been accounted for. Eight people were transported to local hospitals. Jim Passmore, who manages Marsh Landing Adventures, told FOX 35 that the injuries are mostly bruises.
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The fire department added that there were no trauma alerts, and only two minor injuries were directly linked to the boat's impact with the sandbar.
Passmore said the boat was going 10 mph when it hit an unexpected patch of shallow water, which caused it to jerk forward. No passengers fell offboard or onto the boat floor, he said. He also clarified that the incident was not an operator error and that it was the only accident they've had in their 13 years of business.
Deputies said everyone on board had life-saving devices and called 911, saying they needed help getting the boat off the sandbar.
The cause of the incident is under investigation by the Coast Guard Marine Safety Unit Port Canaveral.