First responders say peak boating season in South Florida only recently got underway, and already they are concerned about the number of accidents, injuries and deaths on the water.
“Miami has become a different city,” said Miami-Dade firefighter Meric Tendrich. “I’m born and raised here, and I’ve never seen so many boats out on the water.”
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Tendrich works on the department’s fireboats, which respond to dangerous calls on South Florida’s waterways.
“There’s many accidents that are happening,” he said. “Drownings… and we are just trying to do our best to prevent all these things from happening.”
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Florida’s Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission is the agency that tracks boating accidents throughout the state.
According to the agency’s Florida Boating Accident Statistical Report for 2023, these were the numbers by county:
Miami-Dade: 61 accidents, 7 deaths and 21 accidents with injuries.
Monroe: 87 accidents, 3 deaths and 39 accidents with injuries.
Broward: 26 accidents, no deaths and 8 accidents with injuries.
NBC6 Investigators obtained preliminary data from the FWC for 2024 (January-May 21), which a spokesperson said represents cases being investigated currently and are not final numbers. Monroe County reported the highest number of accidents across the state. Here’s the breakdown:
Miami-Dade: 54 accidents, 5 deaths and 19 accidents with injuries.
Monroe: 64 accidents, 6 deaths and 12 accidents with injuries.
Broward: 23 accidents, no deaths and 3 accidents with injuries.
NBC6 Investigators got exclusive access to the process for Miami-Dade firefighters to get certified to work on the department’s fireboats, which patrol the county’s waterways. Miami-Dade Fire Rescue Chief Andy Alvarez says they have been responding to more dangerous and often deadly boating calls than ever.
NBC6 has covered several recent boating incidents involving serious injuries or deaths.
In February, several people were injured in a crash between a tour bout and a private charter. In March, a man drowned in the Miami River after falling overboard from a charter boat. In April, two men died near Elliot Key after a crash between their motorboat and a large yacht. And in May, 15-year-old Ella Adler was killed in the water near Key Biscayne after a boat struck her.
“This is critical. South Florida, number one, has the most boats in the state. And the state of Florida has the most registered boats in the entire nation,” said Chief Andy Alvarez. “It’s already been a tragic year so far.”
Candidates for the fireboat positions conducted nighttime dives, simulating rescue scenarios such as a baby overboard with little to no visibility in the dark water. They also had to conduct swimming rescue operations in challenging conditions, against the current.
They said these calls are not only dangerous for the public, but first responders as well.
“We all have families, whether or not it’s my family or citizens', it’s important you want everyone to be safe,” Tendrich said. “Every call is hard, and you know we take them to heart.”
They say part of their work is educating boaters on water safety and keeping a look out for other boaters or hazards. In fact, data from the FWC shows the number one cause of boating accidents in 2023 was boating crashes. Other incidents involve people falling to the water or boats crashing to obstacles.
