ST. PETERSBURG, Fla. — The Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission (FWC) said one person died after a boat hit a dock in St. Petersburg on Sunday.
At approximately 4:30 p.m. Sunday, FWC and other agencies responded to reports of a boating accident near Bayshore Boulevard in St. Petersburg.
Officials said that preliminary information indicates an 18-foot boat with two people on board hit a dock, and both were thrown from the boat into the water. According to St. Pete Fire Rescue, both were 15-year-old boys.
The operator of the boat was rescued from the water, and authorities searched for the other person, who was found by a good samaritan and a St. Petersburg Police officer.
Both people were taken to a local hospital.
Collin Moorefield, the passenger in the boat, later died due to his injuries. Christian Tharakan, 15, of St. Petersburg, who was operating the boat, had non-life-threatening injuries.
“We would like to express our condolences to the Moorefield family and ask that the public give the family space during this difficult time,” said Major Evan Laskowski, Southwest Regional Commander. “As a father myself, I can only begin to imagine the pain they are experiencing right now. I want them to know we are thinking and praying for them during this time.”
Alexis Carlon, who lives near where the accident happened, said she was about to go for a walk on a dock when she heard a loud banging noise and said she knew something was wrong when she saw the boat begin to make its way out into the bay unmanned.
"We saw the boat basically go out into the bay and do a big circle, and it was heading straight for our dock," said Carlon. "It then veered suddenly as it was about to make impact and ran into our seawall instead of the dock. My husband jumped our fence and stopped the boat. He was able to pull the throttle down.”
Carlon and other people who live in the area shared how neighbors quickly jumped into action to help after the accident.
“My heart just goes out to the parents and the families of those boys," said Carlon.
The Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission (FWC) is currently handling the investigation with assistance from the St. Petersburg Police Department.
