Man Falls Overboard Boat and Into Propellers at Biscayne Bay, Dies

MIAMI, FL— October 11, 2011 – The Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission is conducting an investigation into a recent and horrific boating accident in which a man lost his life after falling overboard a vessel and into its propellers. The fatal incident occurred during Biscayne Bay’s 55th annual Columbus Day Regatta, NBC Miami reported.

According to Jorge Pino of the FWC, 45-year-old Juan Carlos Morales appeared to have been either sitting or standing on a 65-foot boat’s rear dive platform when he fell overboard and into the vessel’s propellers. The deadly boating accident occurred near Elliot Key along the coast of South Florida on Oct. 8.

While investigators are still unsure how the boat accident victim fell to his death, a full probe was expected to be underway. Morales was the first person to die in a boating-related incident this Columbus Day weekend, Pino said.

Although Pino stated that it also remained unclear whether alcohol played a role in the fatal boating accident, statistical data provided by the U.S. Coast Guard (USCG) suggested that alcohol use was the primary contributing factor of boating fatalities during the year 2010. In the past, countless boaters have been arrested for boating under the influence (BUI) during the Columbus Day Regatta at Biscayne Bay.


About the Miami cruise ship injury lawyers and boat accident attorneys of Gerson & Schwartz, P.A.
With four decades of experience litigating the multifaceted personal injury and wrongful death claims of boat and cruise line passengers who are hurt or assaulted onboard, the knowledgeable Florida boating accident lawyers of Gerson & Schwartz are dedicated to protecting the rights of these individuals and fighting to provide them with the compensation they deserve. Working closely with the National Center for Victims of Crime, the Miami personal injury attorneys of Gerson & Schwartz, P.A. strive to provide justice to individuals who suffer serious injuries in a wide variety of boating accidents.

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