ST. PETERSBURG, Fla- — Two boats collided Saturday morning in Tampa Bay on the north side of the Sunshine Skyway Bridge, injuring 6 boaters, authorities said.
Several boaters ended up in the water after the collision and had to be rescued.
Dense fog was blanketing the area at the time and may have been a contributing factor to the collision, FWC spokesman Officer Bryce Phillippi said in a media release.
Shortly before 8:30 a.m. Saturday, the Pinellas County Sheriff's Communications Center contacted the Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission about a report of two pleasure boats colliding in Tampa Bay, the release said.
At the time of the collision there were seven people on the two boats. One vessel capsized, tossing its occupants in the water.
The specific number of boaters who ended up in the water has not been released.
They were rescued by a good Samaritan on a third boat in the area at the time, a U.S. Coast Guard media release said.
Six injured boaters were taken to the U.S. Coast Guard headquarters in St. Petersburg, where they were handed over to paramedics. They were taken to Bayfront Health St. Petersburg and St. Anthony's Hospital, also in St. Petersburg, U. S. Coast Guard Officer Ayla Hudson said.
Four of the boaters were transported as trauma alerts, and one was last listed in serious condition.
The seventh boater, who declined medical assistance on scene, also was evaluated for injuries at an area hospital.
