Two people–a man and a woman–were injured, one of them severely, when their pontoon boat crashed into and went under a dock on the Intracoastal Waterway near Beverly Beach late the afternoon of July 4.
The crash was reported to authorities at 5:18 p.m. Emergency units from the Flagler Beach Fire Department, Palm Coast Fire Department, Flagler County Fire Rescue, the Flagler County Sheriff’s Office, Flagler Beach Ocean Rescue, and the Florida Fish & Wildlife Conservation Commission (FWC) responded to the crash.
“Upon arrival, first responders found a single pontoon boat that had collided with a dock,” a Flagler Beach Fire Department statement said. “Multiple injuries were reported. A swift and coordinated response by all involved agencies resulted in the successful rescue of both victims from the water.”
The fire department reported that one individual sustained life-threatening injuries and was declared a trauma alert. The individual was taken to Halifax hospital in Daytona Beach. The second individual was reported to be in stable condition and was transported to AdventHealth Palm Coast for further evaluation. The incident remains under investigation by FWC.
“During emergency incidents like this, it doesn’t matter what patch is on your shoulder—what matters is the mission,” Flagler Beach Fire Chief Stephen Cox said. “The joint collaboration displayed yesterday just goes to prove that we bring every resource, every skill set, and every ounce of experience to the scene to serve the community at the highest level.”
The crash severely damaged the boat and parts of the wooden dock.
According to FWC, a police agency that polices the state’s waterways, among other responsibilities, there were 685 reportable boating accidents in 2024 in a state with just over 1 million registered vessels (tops in the nation). Just two of the crashes took place in Flagler County (with no fatalities). Of the 685 crashes, 53 involved pontoon boats. Collisions with a fixed object, like Friday’s dock collision, were the leading type of crashes (31 percent). In 2024, 81 people were killed in boating crashes across the state. Half the crashes were the result of inattention and inexperience.
2024-boating-statistical-report
