One Dead, Ten Injured in Clearwater Ferry Collision

CLEARWATER, Fla. — The Florida Fish and Wildlife Commission (FWC) has confirmed that 41-year-old Jose Castro of Palm Harbor died in a boat collision near the Memorial Causeway bridge on Sunday evening. The incident left another ten individuals injured, six of whom were classified as trauma alerts.

Among the injured, two were transported to Baycare Health with various minor injuries. At the time of the crash, there were 45 passengers aboard the Clearwater Ferry.

Clearwater Mayor Bruce Rector stated that the ferry collided with a privately owned boat that had six people onboard. After the incident, the captain of the private boat, identified as Jeffry Knight, fled the scene and made his way to Belleair Boat Ramp. The ferry captain, Dennis Kimerer, remained at the scene. As of now, no charges have been filed in this case.

A passenger named Brenda Alvarez, who is currently 31 weeks pregnant, expressed her concerns to ABC Action News. “We are actually going to go to the hospital right now to get checked because I’m a little worried I haven’t felt the baby move. It’s very scary,” she said. She described the moment of impact when she fell between two seats, adding, “We couldn’t understand how fast they were going; how that was even logically possible that they hit and were able to get off like that.” Her husband reported she received medical clearance for both her and the baby after an ultrasound.

The Clearwater Police Department and Clearwater Fire and Rescue responded to the scene following an emergency call at 8:43 p.m. The collision occurred at the end of the 17-day Sugar Sand Festival, a popular event that attracted many ferry users that night.

FWC officials have stated they believe all individuals involved have been accounted for, and no one remains missing. The agency is actively seeking surveillance footage and witnesses to understand the nuances of the incident further. The United States Coast Guard is also conducting its investigation.

In response to the incident, PSTA and Clearwater Ferry released a joint statement expressing their sorrow for the victim and those injured, emphasizing their commitment to safety and cooperation with ongoing investigations.