Florida Ferry Accident: One Dead, 12 Hospitalised After Crash With Private Boat in Clearwater

At least one person has died and 12 others have been hospitalised with serious injuries after a ferry carrying 45 people on board crashed into another private boat in Clearwater, Florida. Several emergency crews rushed to the spot and are engaged in rescue operations. A mass-casualty event was declared by the local fire department after the accident on Sunday night, April 28.

According to initial reports, at least three people are in critical condition and have been shifted to a nearby hospital for treatment. Two medical evacuation aircraft have been deployed to transport the most severely injured to nearby hospitals.

Also Read | Death toll rises to 11 in Vancouver festival tragedy; suspect charged with murder.

Emergency responders are on-site, and authorities are investigating the cause of the accident. Six people have been designated as trauma patients. Local officials have urged residents to avoid the area to allow emergency crews to operate efficiently. Due to the numerous injuries, local fire department officials have classified the crash as a "mass-casualty event."

Emerging: 'Mass casualty event' reported as Clearwater Ferry collides with sandbar in Clearwater, Florida, according to IONTB. pic.twitter.com/YySr2ykQVS

— AZ Intel (@AZ_Intel_) April 28, 2025

Videos of the response circulating on X show a long convoy of police and ambulances rushing to the scene as red and blue lights fill the sky. There were about 10 emergency vehicles at the scene shortly after the collision, according to 10 Tampa Bay.