Dive boat flips

[Brewster Minton]

One person has died and another is in critical condition after a rogue wave caused a commercial dive boat to capsize Thursday, authorities said.

The Thanksgiving Day incident happened in Pompano Beach at the Hillsborough Inlet as the boat was returning from a dive trip, according to the Broward Sheriff's Office.

Authorities said the captain of the 45-foot Coral Princess catamaran did everything he could to keep the boat upright after a wave hit it from behind.

--------------------------------------------------------------------------------

"Apparently the captain was just trying to come through some rough waters," said BSO spokeswoman Dani Moschella. "It was windy, there were waves rolling in, there was a rogue wave that hit the back of the boat and capsized the boat sending everyone into the water."






Advertise | AdChoices







A woman in her 50s, who was transported to Broward Health North, has died, authorities said. Although her cause of death is unknown, BSO said it appears that the woman may have drowned.

"At least one person was caught underneath, another person was injured," Moschella told NBC 6 South Florida.

Three others were also taken to the hospital but are in good condition, hospital staff said.

"But during the rescue it got pretty dicey and scary because we were told there were more people, there may be people missing, so all of these agencies began searching for people to make sure we had everyone," Sandra King, spokeswoman for Pompano Fire, told NBC 6 South Florida.

She said the inlet is tough to negotiate.

"They say it turns into a wash basin," she said. "It's a rough inlet."

Good Samaritans assisted in the rescue effort. Chapin Dalton, who was on shore at the time, said he saw the boat capsize.

"When we were looking at it, it was just pure shock," he said. "We turn and we hear, 'Oh, this boat is going down.' And he just timed it wrong, that's the whole thing. He ducked his front nose in, the bow of the boat ducked in the wave and he just rolled over."

BSO said homicide investigators will investigate the incident.

"Right now it looks like this is a tragic accident," she said. "What started out as a gorgeous day on the water for 23 people ended in tragedy."

[Bertramp]

Hillsborough can be a quick moving inlet.
I run the 31 through and my 21 whaler through and when it's moving....I treat it with respect.
It's not the first time folks have gotten in trouble there, a few yrs back, a 45 Hatt charter boat caught it wrong and some folks were injured.
Some of those dive boats just don't have the "oomff" to go through like they mean it.

[AndreF]

It was in the newspaper here. Said it was a bad inlet, and still bad the next day and people were still coming and going like crazy, the paper said.
Woman that died was an experienced diver. prob got hit in the head.
Good point, Tramp.

[jspiezio]

I have been through there a few times, and in the past I have seen large cats get in trouble there. One time a large cat almost slammed the boat I was heading out on because she got turned sideways and was being driven in by the breakers. I am partial to monohulls in a following sea, and this is a good example why. I am not in any way trying to second guess the captain or say any thing negative about the crew, just saying that I've seen cats get in trouble in following seas in several inlets, including that one.