One woman died and at least 15 other people were injured, after a fire erupted onboard a shuttle boat off Florida’s Gulf Coast, on Sunday.
The vessel was en route on its way to the Sun Cruz Casino boat, a little more than three miles away in international waters, when the Captain saw smoke coming form the engine room and turned the boat around, according to Shawn Whited, division chief with Pasco Fire Rescue, as quoted by Reuters.
As a result, the Captain prompted the 50 people aboard the boat to abandon ship and jump into the Gulf of Mexico waters to swim to shore. Some of the injuries were from being in cold water and from smoke inhalation.
International sources say the female passenger died several time after arriving to the hospital and the cause of death is yet to be determined. The other injuries were not life-threatening according to authorities.
The US Coast Guard, the City of Port Richey Fire Department, and the Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission responded to the incident.
The vessel was declared a total loss as a result from the fire. The casino company said that the boat never had problems in the past.
The fire is so far attributed to an engine problem. An investigation is underway to determine the exact causes of the incident.
