TAMPA, Fla. (AP) — A female passenger on a casino shuttle boat that was consumed by a huge fire off Florida's Gulf Coast has died.
Regional Medical Center Bayonet Point spokesman Kurt Conover said Monday that the woman died late Sunday, hours after the fire. He said she had arrived less than an hour earlier after becoming ill. Her name has not been released and a cause of death has not been determined.
Officials had originally said none of the 15 injuries were life threatening. Passengers had experienced chest pain, smoke inhalation and other injuries. Conover said eight other people treated at Bayonet Point have been released.
Fire belched from the shuttle boat Sunday afternoon as it was heading out on one of its regular runs to a casino ship when the crew decided to turn around, said Port Richey Police Chief Gerard DeCanio.
Pasco Fire Rescue assisted Port Richey Fire at the scene of a shuttle boat fire. 50 people on board and all safely made it to shore. pic.twitter.com/E5YRQaQ4FN
— Pasco Fire Rescue (@PascoFireRescue) January 14, 2018
He said the shuttle boat was close to shore near residential neighborhoods when it experienced engine problems after leaving the dock at Port Richey, a suburban community about 35 miles (55 kilometers) northwest of Tampa. But as the vessel turned back, flames kicked up and people began jumping overboard into shallow water, according to witness accounts.
Larry Santangelo, 57, said he had just driven into his neighborhood when he saw smoke and fire and thought a house — possibly his own — was ablaze. But then he realized it was the boat just about 100 yards (91 meters) offshore.
He told the Tampa Bay Times that he then saw people wandering about confused, wet and cold, after they reached land. One woman collapsed upon reaching shore and vomited, he said. Santangelo said he took about 30 of the passengers into his garage to warm up and recover.
"It was so windy and they were soaking wet," said Santangelo. He worried that some might suffer from hypothermia.
It wasn't immediately clear what caused the fire, which sent a huge plume of dark black smoke wafting over sunny skies on an unusually chilly winter day in the Tampa Bay region.
"It looked pretty dramatic because the shuttle boat burned really fast," DeCanio told The Associated Press by phone.
Another witness told the Tampa Bay Times the shuttle boat passes regularly by his family's home, carrying patrons to and from a casino ship offshore. But he knew something was wrong when smoke cut across the sunny Florida skies and he heard shouts and screams.
"They didn't have much time to decide whether or not to jump," said Bakr Jandali, 19, who was with his family at home nearby when they heard the commotion. "The fire was moving fast. It was a hard jump."
Jandali said passengers had to leap about 12 feet (3 meters) and wade through somewhat shallow water. He said passengers waded in waist-deep water before reaching land. Residents then offered them towels, socks and water to drink.
"All of us, my family and the neighbors, brought them towels and water," Jandali said. "They were so cold."
The shuttle boat regularly carries people back and forth from the Tropical Breeze Casino Cruise, which is offshore because it can't legally operate close to land, according to authorities. They said the shuttle vessel was headed out to the casino ship at the time of the fire.
Tropical Breeze Casino Cruises didn't immediately respond late Sunday to calls by the AP seeking information.
News footage at the site showed survivors cloaked in blankets trying to warm themselves after getting to shore.
Authorities said the Coast Guard, sheriff's office, police and other agencies took part in rescue operations.