Authorities are investigating a fatal boating accident that happened near Elliot Key late Sunday night.
The incident happened around 11:30 p.m. when a 23-foot vessel struck an anchored 36-foot vessel, Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission spokesman Jorge Pino said.
A woman and two men were on board the 23-foot vessel. The woman, later identified as 37-year-old Giovanna Patricia Santos, was airlifted to Jackson Memorial Hospital where she later died.
The two men were airlifted to Kendall Regional with serious injuries, Pino said.
Felipe Escobar, the operator of the 23-foot boat, was suspected of boating under the influence, Pino said.
"Our Investigators felt that there was enough probable cause based on the odor of alcohol that was coming from the operator's person for us to do a forced blood draw on him," Pino said.
The two people aboard the anchored vessel were sleeping at the time of the crash and weren't injured.
The FWC is investigating the cause of the crash, Pino said.
"I have been doing this 11 years and I have been preaching boating safety just that long and I always try to tell people the importance of using common sense if you are going to operate a vessel, don't operate a vessel while intoxicated," Pino said.
