Boat crashes into Florida bridge, leaving 10 people struggling in river, rescuers say

Ten people had to be rescued from the Caloosahatchee River in Southwest Florida after their 37-foot boat struck a bridge support and began sinking, according to the Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission.

It happened around 5 p.m. on Saturday, Feb. 25, in Cape Coral, state officials said in a news release. Cape Coral is about 130 miles south of Tampa.

“For reasons not yet known, the vessel struck the base of the Cape Coral Bridge and sank,” FWC reported.

“There were 10 occupants on board at the time of the incident. Each occupant was rescued and taken to nearby hospitals for treatment of their injuries. The severity of the injuries is not yet known.”

The 10 people rescued were adults, FWC reports. Their identities were not released.

Among the agencies that participated in the rescue were the Lee County Sheriff’s Office Aviation Unit, U.S. Coast Guard and Cape Coral Police Department.

The cause of the collision remains under investigation, FWC says.

The Cape Coral Bridge carries four lanes of traffic and stands just under 18 feet over the Caloosahatche, “a tidal river where the saltwater moves either upstream or downstream depending on the tide,” Guidesly.com reports. The river averages just over 14 feet in depth and is home to bull sharks, the site says.

This story was originally published February 27, 2023 at 7:38 AM with the headline "Boat crashes into Florida bridge, leaving 10 people struggling in river, rescuers say."