Bobcat
03-24-2015, 06:44 AM
BY ADAM LINHARDT Citizen Staff
alinhardt@keysnews.com
At least three people died Monday as five serious water-related emergencies were reported from Key Largo to the Dry Tortugas to the Gulf of Mexico by law enforcement and the Coast Guard.
Specifics such as names, times and other information regarding most of the cases were still being determined as of presstime as emergency responders described a chaotic day on the water:
• Julia Ann Thien, 64, of Illinois, was on Molasses Reef southeast of Key Largo with the Keys Diver II charter dive boat when she reportedly lost consciousness. She was taken to Mariners Hospital in Tavernier, where she was pronounced dead at 3:35 p.m., said Monroe County Sheriff's Office spokeswoman Becky Herrin.
• An unresponsive snorkeler off Key West was brought to the Outer Mole Pier by Key West police marine officers to waiting paramedics, said Coast Guard Sector Key West spokesman Lt. Peter Bermont. That person died, according to preliminary information released by the sheriff's office, Herrin said.
• A person at Garden Key at the Dry Tortugas National Park died of an apparent heart attack. The sheriff's office Trauma Star helicopter was on the scene at 5 p.m. when paramedics declared the person dead, Bermont said.
• Earlier Monday morning, four people found clinging to the Bahia Honda Bridge were rescued by Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission officers. The Coast Guard also launched a response boat, but FWC was first on the scene. There were no fatalities reported in that case, Bermont said. How those people ended up on the bridge pilings was not clear.
• Monday afternoon, a vessel was reportedly sinking in the Gulf of Mexico about 50 miles north of Key West, Bermont said. A Coast Guard aircraft was on the scene, as well as the 87-foot, St. Petersburg-based Coast Guard Cutter Crocodile. Those aboard the vessel were able to keep up with the flooding and the vessel was being towed to the Keys as of 5 p.m., Bermont said. There were no injuries immediately reported.
Sunday search
A cruise ship passenger fell overboard Sunday night south of Marathon and he remains missing.
The 43-year-old Canadian passenger aboard the Royal Caribbean's Liberty of the Seas, which was about 20 miles south of Marathon about 9:15 p.m. Sunday, fell about 100 feet from the ship's 12th deck, Bermont said. A response boat from Station Marathon, the Key West-based Fast Response Cutter Charles Sexton and a helicopter from Air Station Miami searched an area of more than 500 square miles Sunday night, Bermont said.
By Monday afternoon, the search moved to an area about 20 miles south of Long Key and at least 11 searches were performed.
"One interesting note is that two Canadian naval vessels happened to be in the area, diverted and helped us in the search," Bermont said.
The passenger was last seen wearing a gray tank top and shorts. Any mariners who find anyone in the water are asked to report it to the Coast Guard via VHF Channel 16 on the marine radio.
The ship's video system reportedly captured images of the man going overboard, Bermont said.
The ship was on its way to back Port Everglades in Fort Lauderdale where it was scheduled to return Monday, according to Royal Caribbean. It had been in Cozumel, Mexico.
Saturday crash
On Saturday, the Coast Guard as well as the FWC responded to a two-boat crash in Tavernier Creek, said FWC spokesman Bobby Dube.
Four people were ejected into the water, and one person was aken to to Mariners Hospital in Tavernier with multiple broken bones, Dube and Bermont said. One of the boats capsized, Bermont said.
Alcohol was believed to be a factor in the 6:30 p.m. crash as one boat had multiple empty beer cans aboard, according to reports. Dube said he did not have complete information on the crash, but blood was drawn from one of the boat operators for toxicology analysis.
"One boat was coming into Tavernier Creek and the other was coming out," Dube said, adding that the case remains under investigation and it was unclear who was at fault.
alinhardt@keysnews.com
alinhardt@keysnews.com
At least three people died Monday as five serious water-related emergencies were reported from Key Largo to the Dry Tortugas to the Gulf of Mexico by law enforcement and the Coast Guard.
Specifics such as names, times and other information regarding most of the cases were still being determined as of presstime as emergency responders described a chaotic day on the water:
• Julia Ann Thien, 64, of Illinois, was on Molasses Reef southeast of Key Largo with the Keys Diver II charter dive boat when she reportedly lost consciousness. She was taken to Mariners Hospital in Tavernier, where she was pronounced dead at 3:35 p.m., said Monroe County Sheriff's Office spokeswoman Becky Herrin.
• An unresponsive snorkeler off Key West was brought to the Outer Mole Pier by Key West police marine officers to waiting paramedics, said Coast Guard Sector Key West spokesman Lt. Peter Bermont. That person died, according to preliminary information released by the sheriff's office, Herrin said.
• A person at Garden Key at the Dry Tortugas National Park died of an apparent heart attack. The sheriff's office Trauma Star helicopter was on the scene at 5 p.m. when paramedics declared the person dead, Bermont said.
• Earlier Monday morning, four people found clinging to the Bahia Honda Bridge were rescued by Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission officers. The Coast Guard also launched a response boat, but FWC was first on the scene. There were no fatalities reported in that case, Bermont said. How those people ended up on the bridge pilings was not clear.
• Monday afternoon, a vessel was reportedly sinking in the Gulf of Mexico about 50 miles north of Key West, Bermont said. A Coast Guard aircraft was on the scene, as well as the 87-foot, St. Petersburg-based Coast Guard Cutter Crocodile. Those aboard the vessel were able to keep up with the flooding and the vessel was being towed to the Keys as of 5 p.m., Bermont said. There were no injuries immediately reported.
Sunday search
A cruise ship passenger fell overboard Sunday night south of Marathon and he remains missing.
The 43-year-old Canadian passenger aboard the Royal Caribbean's Liberty of the Seas, which was about 20 miles south of Marathon about 9:15 p.m. Sunday, fell about 100 feet from the ship's 12th deck, Bermont said. A response boat from Station Marathon, the Key West-based Fast Response Cutter Charles Sexton and a helicopter from Air Station Miami searched an area of more than 500 square miles Sunday night, Bermont said.
By Monday afternoon, the search moved to an area about 20 miles south of Long Key and at least 11 searches were performed.
"One interesting note is that two Canadian naval vessels happened to be in the area, diverted and helped us in the search," Bermont said.
The passenger was last seen wearing a gray tank top and shorts. Any mariners who find anyone in the water are asked to report it to the Coast Guard via VHF Channel 16 on the marine radio.
The ship's video system reportedly captured images of the man going overboard, Bermont said.
The ship was on its way to back Port Everglades in Fort Lauderdale where it was scheduled to return Monday, according to Royal Caribbean. It had been in Cozumel, Mexico.
Saturday crash
On Saturday, the Coast Guard as well as the FWC responded to a two-boat crash in Tavernier Creek, said FWC spokesman Bobby Dube.
Four people were ejected into the water, and one person was aken to to Mariners Hospital in Tavernier with multiple broken bones, Dube and Bermont said. One of the boats capsized, Bermont said.
Alcohol was believed to be a factor in the 6:30 p.m. crash as one boat had multiple empty beer cans aboard, according to reports. Dube said he did not have complete information on the crash, but blood was drawn from one of the boat operators for toxicology analysis.
"One boat was coming into Tavernier Creek and the other was coming out," Dube said, adding that the case remains under investigation and it was unclear who was at fault.
alinhardt@keysnews.com